SOUTHERN  BRANCH, 

UNIVERSITY  C-S^  CALIFORNIA, 

LIBRARY, 

ILDS  ANCvLtS,  CALIF. 


PRESENT-DAY    EGYPT 


^itjM 


PROCESSIOX    0\   THK   SACRED    CARPET,    CAIRO. 


PRESENT-DAY  EGYPT 


By 

Frederic  Courtland  Penfield 

United  States  Diplomatic  Agent  and  Consul-General 
to  Egypt,  1893-97 


Illustrated  by 

PAUL  PHILIPPOTEAUX  AND  R.  TALBOT  KELLY 

And  from  Photographs 


"  I  shall  now  speak  at  greater  length  of  Egypt,  as 
it  contains  more  wonders  than  any  other  land,  and 
is  preeminent  above  all  the  countries  in  the  world 
for  works  that  one  can  hardly  describe."      Herodotus 


SUdX 


NEW  YORK 

THE  CENTURY  CO. 

1899 

8  ^"37 


Copyright,  1899 
By  The  Century  Co. 


THE  DEVINNE  PRESS. 


5  O 


TO   KATHARINE: 

WIFE,    COMRADE,    AND    CRITIC 


IlOS  AriCeUES,  CAIi. 

Preface 

I  STOOD  once  before  a  window  in  Venice 
wherein  an  artisan  was  at  work.  Arranged 
before  him  were  smalts  and  innumerable  bits  of 
glass  of  every  hue,  some  brilliant,  many  dull,  and 
none  suggestive  of  value  or  purpose.  Apparently 
following  no  definite  design,  the  workman  seemed 
to  draw  mechanically  upon  the  materials  at  his 
command,  choosing  alike  from  the  dull  and  bright 
pieces,  until  it  could  be  seen  that  the  object  on 
which  he  had  been  employed,  now  completed,  was  a 
mosaic  of  attractive  pattern  —  not  a  masterpiece  in 
any  sense,  but  perfect  enough  to  find  a  purchaser 
from  among  the  group  of  onlookers. 

In  fashioning  this  mosaic  volume  of  information 
concerning  the  reawakened  Nile  country,  I  may 
have  drawn  too  generously  upon  the  supply  of 
lusterless  material,  and  dulled  naturally  brilliant 
atoms  by  misplacing  them  in  the  pattern.  The 
finished  article,  I  am  conscious,  is  far  from  a  mas- 
terpiece, and  is  journalistic  rather  than  literary; 
but  it  may  still  be  attractive  enough  to  satisfy  the 
inquiring  reader  interested  to  learn  about  the 
atoms  making  up  the  Egypt  of  to-day. 

"Present-Day  Egypt"  is  prepared  neither  for 
vii 


Preface 

the  Egyptologist,  antiquarian,  nor  historian :  these 
are  favored  ah'eady  with  a  bibliography  straining 
the  shelves  of  every  library.  Aiming  at  being  a  dis- 
cursive budget  of  information  and  comment, — 
social,  political,  economic,  and  administrative, — 
the  volume  presents  a  series  of  faithful  pictures 
of  the  Egypt  that  is  interesting  to  the  winter 
visitor,  health-seeker,  and  general  reader,  desirous 
of  learning  something,  and  not  too  much,  of  con- 
temporary conditions  in  the  oldest  country  in  the 
world.  "  Present-Day  Egypt "  is  written  in  no  par- 
tial or  partizan  spirit,  and  advances  no  theory  of 
the  purpose  of  the  Pyramids,  nor  attempts  to  ex- 
plain the  riddle  of  the  Sphinx. 

Feedeeic  C.  Penfield. 
New  York  City,  September  18,  1899. 


Author's  Note. — The  poem,  "  The  Rose  of  Fayum,"  on  pp.  348  and 
349,  is  incorporated  in  this  volume  through  the  courtesy  of  Pi-ofessor  Clin- 
ton Scollard,  and  of  Messrs.  Copeland  &  Day,  publishers,  Boston. 


Vlll 


Contents 


CHAPTER  PAGi. 

I  IN  FASCINATING  CAIRO 1 

II  IN  FASCINATING  CAIRO  {Contimied) 40 

III  ALEXANDRIA,  SEAT  OF  EGYPTIAN  COMMERCE    .        .    78 

IV  PARADOXICAL  BUT  EFFECTIVE  ADMINISTRATION.      104 

^V    THE   EXPANSION   OF   PRODUCTIVE   EGYPT   BY   IRRI- 
GATION  145 

VI    THE  STORY  OF  THE  SUEZ  CANAL 184 

VII  ISMAIL  PASHA  AS  KHEDIVE  AND  EXILE    .        .        .218 

VIII  TEWFIK  PASHA  AND  THE  ARABI  REBELLION     .        .  245 

IX  THE  PRESENT  KHEDIVE  AND  KHEDIVAL  FAMILY.      272 

X  GREAT  BRITAIN'S  POSITION  IN  EGYPT   .        .        .        .298 

XI  WINTERING  IN  EGYPT  FOR  HEALTH'S  SAKE    .        .      336 

INDEX 36S 


IX 


List  of  Illustrations 


PAGE 

PROCESSION  OF  THE  SACRED   CARPET,   CAIRO       .    Frontispiece 
From  drawing  by  Paul  Philippoteaux. 

GENERAL  VIEW  OF  CAIRO 3 

From  drawing  by  Paul  Philippoteaux. 

PUBLIC     LETTER-WRITER      (LETTER     FROM     BIANCA     TO 

GIOVANNI) 9 

From  drawing  by  Paul  Philippoteaux. 

MARRIAGE  PROCESSION  AND  SABER  DANCE,   CAIRO        .        17 

From  drawing  by  Paul  PMUppoteaux. 

A   BURIAL,   CAIRO 25 

From  drawing  by  Paul  Philippoteaux. 

A  HOWLING  DERVISH 31 

From  drawing  by  Paul  Philippoteaux. 
TYPES  OF  MALE  AND  FEMALE  BEDOUINS       .        .        .        .37 
From  drawing  by  Paul  Philippoteaux. 

BRASS-WORKERS    AT    THE    SOUTH    GATE    OF    THE    KHAN 

HALIL,   CAIRO 43 

From  drawing  by  Paul  Philippoteaux. 

WOOD-WORKERS 49 

From  photogi-aph  by  Zangaki. 

WOMEN   OF  THE   NILE 57 

From  drawing  by  Paul  Philippoteaux. 
THE   ROSETTA   STONE 67 

COURT  OF  EL-AZHAR,   CAIRO 73 

From  photograph  by  Boniils. 

WATER     ENTRANCE     OF      RAS-EL-TEEN      PALACE,     ALEX- 
ANDRIA          81 

From  photograph  by  Zangaki. 

PLACE   MEHEMET   ALI,   ALEXANDRIA 87 

From  photograph  by  Zaugaki. 

xi 


List  of  Illustrations 


PAGE 

NATIVE  WOMAN  AND  CHILD 93 

From  photograph  by  G.  Lekegian  &  Co. 

CLEOPATRA  (FROM  THE    TEMPLE   OF  DENDERAH)    .        .        99 
THE   SPHINX 107 

From  photograph  by  Zangaki. 

AFTER  PASSING  DRAWBRIDGE,   CAIRO 113 

From  photograph  by  Zangaki. 

JIAP  OF  THE  NILE  AND  NORTHEASTERN  AFRICA        .        .  121 

From  drawing  by  F.  E.  Pierce. 
THE  PYRAMIDS,  SEEN  PROM  NATIVE  VILLAGE  .        .        .129 

From  photograph  by  Zangaki. 
AN     OFFICIAL     GROUP     IN     GROUNDS    OF     THE    UNITED 
STATES       diplomatic'     AGENCY      AND      CONSULATE- 
GENERAL,   CAIRO 135 

VISCOUNT    CROMER,   BRITISH    DIPLOMATIC    AGENT    AND 

CONSUL-GENERAL 141 

From  photograph  by  J.  Heyman  &  Co. 

GENERAL     VIEW     OF     THE    FIRST    CATARACT,   LOOKING 

SOUTH  FROM  ASSUAN 149 

From  drawing  by  R.  Talbot  Kelly. 
LOG-SWIMMING  DOWN  THE  ASSUAN  CATARACT.        .        .      155 

From  drawing  by  R.  Talbot  Kelly. 

PHIL^  AS  IT  IS 161 

From  drawing  by  R.  Talbot  Kelly. 

PROBABLE  APPEARANCE  OP  THE  CATARACT  ON  THE 
COMPLETION  OF  THE  DAM 167 

From  drawing  by  R.  Talbot  Kelly. 

TOURIST-BOAT  LEAVING  SHELAL   FOR  THE   CATARACT     .  173 

From  drawing  by  R.  Talbot  Kelly. 

NATIVES  HAULING  A  BOAT  UP  THE   "GREAT   GATE"     .      179 

From  drawing  by  R.  Talbot  Kelly. 

BRITISH  TROOP-SHIP  PASSING  THROUGH  SUEZ   CANAL     .  189 

From  photograph  by  Zangaki. 

A   DAHABIYEH   ON   THE  NILE 197 

From  photograph  by  G.  Lekegian  &  Co. 

EGYPTIAN    PROTOTYPE    OF    FERRIS    WHEEL,    HUNDREDS 

OF  YEARS  OLD 205 

From  photograph  by  Zangaki. 

A  SIMPLE   FORM  OF   IRRIGATION 213 

From  photograph  by  Zangaki. 

OBELISK  AT  HELIOPOLIS 221 

From  photograph  by  Zangaki. 

KOM-OMBOS  (RECENTLY  EXCAVATED) 227 

xii 


List  of  Illustrations 


PAGE 

EXTERIOR  OF  TEMPLE  AT  DENDERAH 233 

From  photogi'aph  by  G.  Lekegiau  &  Co. 

THE     FUNERAL    CORTEGE    OF     EX-KHEDIVE    ISMAIL,    IN 
CAIRO 239 

From  photograph  by  V.  Giuutini,  Cairo. 

PREDECESSORS   OF   KHEDR^E  ABBAS  II 249 

From  photograph  by  G.  Lekegian  &  Co. 

TULIP  COLUMNS  AT  KARNAK 255 

Prom  photograph  by  G.  Lekegian  &  Co. 

AVENUE  OF  SPHINXES  AND  PYLON,  KARNAK   .    .   .261 

From  photograph  by  G.  Lekegian  &  Co. 

EGYPTIAN  BRIDE   GOING  IN  STATE  TO  NEW  HOME         .      267 

From  photograph  by  Zaugaki. 

HIS    HIGHNESS    ABBAS    HILMI    PASHA    II,   KHEDIVE    OP 
EGYPT 275 

From  photograph  by  J.  Heyman  &  Co. 

ABDIN  PALACE,   CAIRO.     CITADEL  IN , DISTANCE         .        .      281 

From  photograph  by  Zangaki. 

THE    SULTAN'S    HIGH    COMMISSIONER    IN    EGYPT,    GHAZI 

MOUKHTAR   PASHA 287 

From  photograph  by  Abdullah  Bros. 

BISCHARINS  IN  UPPER  EGYPT .293 

From  photograph  by  G.  Lekegian  &  Co. 

LORD    KITCHENER,    SIRDAR    OF     THE    EGYPTIAN    ARMY 
AND  GOVERNOR-GENERAL  OF  THE  SUDAN        .        .        .301 

A  NILE   FARM 309 

From  photograpli  by  Edward  L.  Wilson. 

THE   NILE   BARRAGE,  NEAR   CAIRO 317 

AT   THE   BASE   OF    CHEOPS 323 

GHIZEREH  BANK  OF   THE  NILE,   CAIRO 331 

From  photograph  by  Zangaki. 

TEMPLE   OF   ABU-SIMBEL,  NUBIA 339 

From  photograph  by  A.  Beato. 
SCENE  IN  THE  FAYUM 345 

From  photograph  by  G.  Lekegian  &  Co. 

LUXOR 353 

ASSUAN 361 

From  photogi-aph  by  G.  Lekegian  &  Co. 
MAP  OF    EGYPT  AND   THE  SUDAN 367 


Xlll 


Present-Day  Egypt 


Present-Day  Egypt 

CHAPTER  I 

IN  FASCINATING  CAIRO 

FROM  its  founding  in  969  by  the  Fatimite 
califs,  as  an  offshoot  of  the  tented  settlement 
of  Fostat,  to  the  present  rule  of  Abbas  Pasha,  sev- 
enth khedive,  or  viceroy,  of  the  dynasty  of  Mehemet 
Ali,  Cairo— capital  of  Egypt,  metropolis  of  the 
African  continent,  and  chief  seat  of  Mohammedan 
teaching— has  a  romantic  history.  Scene  of  famous 
exploits  of  great  personages,  from  Saladin  to 
Napoleon,  of  sanguinary  conflicts  between  Chris- 
tianity and  Islamism,  and  the  memorable  massacre 
of  the  Mamelukes ;  cradle  of  religions  and  cults ; 
home  of  the  "Arabian  Nights"  tales;  the  place 
where  lasting  principles  of  philosophy  and  science 
were  conceived,  and  where  Bible  scenes  were  laid, 
Cairo  has  become  the  meeting-ground  of  winter 
idlers  from  every  clime. 

The  visit  to  Egypt  has  become  almost  as  essen- 
tial to  Americans — and  fully  half  of  the  eight  thou- 
sand winter  visitors  are  from  the  United  States— 


Present-Day  Egypt 

as  the  pilgrimage  of  good  Mohammedans  to  Mecca. 
The  Mohammedans'  religion  takes  them  but  once  to 
the  sacred  city  of  the  prophet,  but  pleasure  draws 
those  favored  by  fortune  to  the  Nile  capital  time 
after  time.  Cairo  is  more  than  interesting:  it  is 
fascinating.  The  antiquarian,  the  student,  and  the 
savant  have  always  been  at  home  there;  and  the 
invalid— real  or  imaginary — seeking  a  climate,  finds 
in  and  about  the  khedival  city  the  superlative  of 
air  and  temperature. 

Artists  never  weary  of  reproducing  Cairo's  pic- 
turesque scenes  and  vivid  colorings.  The  ether 
of  the  skies,  the  splendor  of  the  setting  sun,  the 
Turneresque  afterglow,  and  the  delicate  browns  of 
the  desert,  can  be  best  suggested  in  water-colors, 
for,  like  Venice,  Egypt  demands  a  master  hand  in 
oils. 

The  traveler  of  impressionable  nature  yields  to 
the  fascination  of  Cairo's  quaint  Eastern  life,  as 
perfect  as  if  met  far  beyond  the  Orient's  threshold, 
and  doubly  satisfying,  because  found  within  a  half- 
hour  of  the  creature  comforts  of  hotels  conspicu- 
ously modern.  To  walk  the  streets  of  an  Oriental 
capital  wherein  history  has  been  made,  between 
meals,  as  it  were,  and  delve  by  day  in  museums 
and  mosques  perpetuating  a  mysterious  past,  and 
dine  de  rigueur  in  the  evening,  with  the  best  music 
of  Europe  at  hand,  explains  a  charm  that  Cairo  has 
for  mortals  liking  to  witness  Eastern  life  provided 
they  are  not  compelled  to  become  a  part  of  it.  If 
Egypt  disappoints,  the  indecisive  idler  can  in  four 
or  five  days  be  back  in  Paris  or  on  the  Riviera. 

2 


I   '?*'^1 


m 


S .') 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

Every  turning  in  the  old  quarters  of  the  Moham- 
medan city  has  its  story.  The  remnant  of  a  fortified 
gateway,  a  dilapidated  mosque,  a  Cufic  text,  each 
has  its  history,  perhaps  carrying  one  back  to  the 
days  when  Saladin  went  forth  from  El-Kahira  to 
meet  Eichard  and  his  crusaders  on  the  plain  of 
Acre;  or  the  mind's  eye  sees  the  good  Harun-al- 
Rashid,  freshly  arrived  from  Bagdad,  stealthily 
pursuing  his  midnight  rambles.  A  hundred  asso- 
ciations such  as  these  are  wrapped  about  the 
crumbling  ruins  of  medieval  Cairo,  to  this  day 
rich  with  exquisite  achievements  of  Saracenic  art._ 
Huge  monuments  of  the  earliest  history  of  the  world 
fringe  the  horizon  as  one  looks  from  the  ramparts 
of  the  citadel,  teaching  us  how  the  years  of  Cairo 
are  but  as  days  in  the  sight  of  the  Sphinx  and  the 
Pyramids.  To  the  left  is  desolate  Memphis,  earli- 
est city  of  the  world ;  face  about,  and  you  behold 
the  edge  of  the  land  of  Goshen ;  two  or  three  miles 
down  the  Nile,  near  the  Embabeh  end  of  the-  rail- 
way-bridge, Napoleon  and  his  army,  just  a  century 
ago,  won  the  battle  of  the  Pyramids  over  the 
Mameluke  horde;  and  in  a  modern  structure  in 
the  near  foreground,  the  Egyptian  Museum,  rest  the 
bodies  of  Seti  and  the  great  Rameses,  while  within 
a  few  paces  of  the  spot  from  which  you  are  view- 
ing this  matchless  panorama  sleeps  the  Roumeliau 
warrior  who  by  daring  and  bloodshed  founded  the 
dynasty  now  ruling  Egypt.  All  this,  and  more, 
may  be  seen  in  an  hour,  if  the  blare  of  bugles, 
reverberated  by  the  Mokattam  Hills,  does  not  in- 
form you  that  the  British  soldier  has  decided  it  is 

5 


Present-Day  Egypt 

time  to  close  the  gates  of  Saladin's  stronghold,  and 
you  are  awakened  to  the  fact  that  your  table  cVhote 
dinner  begins  in  thirty  minutes,  and  you  must  array 
yourself  in  conventional  evening  garb  before  you 
can  partake  thereof. 

The  suburbs  have  a  double  charm  to  students  of 
the  Bible.  A  visit  to  the  Shubra  road,  the  Corso  of 
Cairo  until  fashion  decreed  the  Ghizereh  drive,  at 
sunset,  will  illustrate  the  scriptural  allusions  to  the 
sheep  and  the  goats ;  and  a  pleasing  picture  may 
there  be  seen  of  the  shepherd  bearing  in  his  arms 
a  lamb  or  kid  too  feeble  to  keep  pace  with  the 
herd.  The  scene  might  have  been  taken  from  an 
engraving  in  an  old  Bible.  One  will  not  proceed 
far  without  seeing  devout  Moslems  engaged  in 
eventide  prayer  on  the  housetops.  The  wine-skin 
of  old  was  the  same  as  that  used  now  by  the  water- 
carrier,  seen  a  hundred  times  a  day  in  Cairo,  ena- 
bling one  to  comprehend  the  simile  of  new  wine  in 
old  bottles.  Aged  men  about  the  mosques  and 
bazaars  are  appareled  to-day  as  they  were  in  Abra- 
ham's time,  carrying  the  same  staves ;  and  the  scribe, 
with  inkhorn  and  pens  of  reed  in  girdle,  joins  the 
throng  in  the  Khan  Halil  to-day,  and  frowns  upon 
the  outcast  Jew,  as  did  the  Pharisee  upon  the 
publican.  A  few  minutes'  walk  from  the  hotels 
brings  one  face  to  face  with  the  living  Bible ;  a  few 
minutes'  drive  in  another  direction  may  bring  one 
face  to  face  with  the  grotesque  characters  of  a 
hotel  costume  ball,  with  2)ct'^ts  chevaux  for  a  diver- 
sion between  dances.  Cairo  is  paradoxical  as  well 
as  fascinating. 

6 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

Walk  eastward  from  your  hotel,  and  in  five  min- 
utes you  are  in  the  medley  of  East  and  West.  At 
the  post-office  observe  the  mingling  of  nationalities;, 
A  German  nurse-maid,  leading  the  little  son  of  a 
prosperous  Frankish  merchant,  is  inquiring  for  let- 
ters at  the  ]poste  restante  window,  and  a  patriarchal 
sheik  in  silken  caftan  and  turban  is  negotiating  a 
money-order  to  send  to  some  up-Nile  village.  With 
a  swagger  indicating  a  sense  of  importance,  Tommy 
Atkins  enters,  pouch  over  shoulder,  to  get  the 
dainty  billets-doux  for  the  smart  regiment  quartered 
at  Abbassieh,  and  home  letters  for  officers  and  men. 
Another  window  is  surrounded  by  students  from 
El-Azhar.  One  is  expecting  his  monthly  remittance 
from  the  family  in  Tunis,  and  his  ten  or  twenty 
comrades  take  a  keen  interest  in  the  operation  of 
attaching  the  Arabic  hieroglyphics  to  the  several 
receipts  demanded  in  case  of  a  money-order  or 
registered  letter. 

Over  the  way,  ranged  along  the  iron  palings  of 
the  buildings  of  the  Mixed  Court,  are  the  public 
letter- wi'iters,  gravely  imperturbable,  sitting  at  um- 
brella-shaded tables,  prepared  to  write  anything 
for  illiterate  applicants,  in  any  language,  for  a  pias- 
ter or  two.  One  is  preparing  the  soul-impassioned 
letter  of  Bianca  to  her  Giovanni,  back  in  Naples 
or  Brindisi,  assuring  him  that  she  has  not  ceased 
to  love  him,  although  separated  by  the  turbulent 
Mediterranean  for  more  than  a  month.  At  another 
table  one  of  the  professional  scribes  is  inditing  for 
Youssef  Mohammed  a  bid  for  clearing  a  canal  at  As- 
siut,  for  which  the  government  has  invited  tenders. 

7 


Present-Day  Egypt 

The  contrasts  presented  by  the  people  thronging 
the  streets  are  amusing  and  bewildering.  The 
European  element— Greek,  Italian,  and  French— is 
everywhere  blended  with  the  Oriental.  Egyptian 
women  swing  along  in  blue  gowns  and  black  veils 
hanging  loose,  allowing  the  neck  and  line  of  cheek 
to  be  easily  seen,  while  concealing  the  only  part  of 
the  face  scrupulously  hidden  by  an  Oriental  woman 
— the  mouth.  Bedouins  stalk  about  with  lordly 
mien,  wearing  around  their  turbans  the  striped 
kufieh  of  their  desert  tribe.  Coptic  effendis,  uncom- 
fortable in  the  clerical-cut  coat  signifying  govern- 
mental employment,  scamper  along  on  donkey- 
back  conscious  of  their  own  importance,  but  as 
obsequious  as  slaves  on  encountering  a  person  of 
higher  official  station.  :  A  clatter  of  hoofs  of  a 
cavalry  guard  draws  every  one  to  window  or  bal- 
cony to  see  his  Highness  the  Khedive  dash  past, 
in  open  carriage,  with  aide-de-camp  by  his  side, 
hurrying  in  from  Koubbeh  to  conduct  the  day's 
affairs  of  state  at  Abdin  Palace.  Running  foot- 
men, with  bare  brown  legs  and  embroidered  jack- 
ets with  flowing  sleeves,  carrying  wands  of  author- 
ity, soon  follow,  commanding  the  populace  to  make 
way  for  the  carriage  of  their  master,  perhaps  a 
pasha  making  a  call  of  ceremony,  or  the  diplo- 
matic representative  of  one  of  the  great  powers. 

In  the  midst  of  this  moving  throng  a  camel-train 
comes  noiselessly  into  the  foreground,  laden  with 
rough  building-stones  slung  in  network  sacks,  con- 
tending with  English  dog-carts  and  bicycles  for 
right  of  way.    The  camels  never  relax  their  super- 

8 


''I 


vu 


>-'r'^"--^ 


PUBLIC   LETTEK-WKITER   (LETTER   FROM   BIAXC'A  TO   GIOVANNI). 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

cilious  expression,  even  when  nibbling  at  beflowered 
Parisian  bonnets  on  the  heads  of  ladies  seated  in 
victorias  in  front  of  them.  This,  or  a  comic-opera- 
like  medley  fully  as  novel,  may  be  seen  any  day 
from  the  veranda  of  Shepheard's  or  the  new  Savoy. 
Equally  heterogeneous  is  the  jumble  of  human- 
ity on  tourist-hotel  terraces.  Princes  of  ruling 
European  houses  rub  shoulders  in  friendly  manner 
with  sovereign  visitors  from  the  States.  The  Eng- 
lishman, who  never  tires  of  informing  the  stranger 
of  the  benefits  conferred  on  Egypt  by  the  wholly 
disinterested  British  "  occupation,"  is  everywhere. 
Grand  duchesses  and  society  queens  share  tables 
with  dressmakers  from  Paris  and  elsewhere,  each 
sipping  afternoon  tea,  not  knowing,  perhaps  not 
caring,  who  or  what  her  vis-a-vis  may  be.  An 
Omdurman  hero,  modest  and  good-looking  in  civil- 
ian dress,  is  the  cynosure  for  a  few  minutes  of  every 
feminine  eye,  and  the  recipient  of  courtly  con- 
sideration from  "  Baehler,"  "  Luigi,"  or  "  George," 
—the  managerial  triumvirate  of  Cairo's  hotels,— as 
the  case  may  be.  The  Egyptologist,  with  long 
hair,  excavating  at  Thebes  or  Sakkarah,  with  half 
the  alphabet  appended  to  his  name,  or  the  irriga- 
tion expert,  rescuing  from  the  desert  a  province 
of  tillable  soil,  is  eclipsed  by  the  Mahdi's  escaped 
prisoner.  However,  the  inclination  of  this  tea- 
drinking,  gossiping— perhaps  flirting— crowd  is  to 
forget  cares  and  responsibilities,  breathe  the  hea- 
venly air,  and  watch  indifferently  the  kaleidoscopic 
panorama  of  Egypt  passing  endlessly  in  the  street. 
In  a  land  of  perpetual  sunshine  it  is  wonderful  how 

ri 


Present-Day  Egypt 

the  willingness  to  do  nothing  grows  on  human 
beings  who  in  other  places  must  be  employed  to 
be  happy. 

An  amusing  feature  of  street  life  is  the  manner . 
:in  which  the  huckstering  of  fowls  is  conducted. 
!  The  fellah  woman,  paying  duty  at  one  of  the  octroi 
bureaus,  comes  into  Cairo  with  a  donkey  loaded 
with  baskets  of  hens,  ducks,  and  geese,  their  heads 
standing  out  in  every  direction  as  if  enjoying  their 
outing.  To  sell  a  dozen  fowls  keeps  the  woman 
dickering  all  day.  Her  lord  and  master,  maybe,  is 
driving  a  flock  of  young  turkeys  through  the 
crowded  streets  of  the  European  quarter,  singing 
the  praises  of  his  peeping,  docile  birds  in  a  man- 
ner conveying  a  meaning  only  to  the  servant  class. 
With  a  palm-branch  he  guides  the  flock  wherever 
he  wishes,  keeping  the  birds  clear  of  the  traffic. 
The  man  loves  to  dicker,  also,  and  has  no  appreci- 
able regard  for  time.  To  effect  the  sale  of  a  turkey 
requires  a  vast  amount  of  palaver  and  much  esti- 
mating of  weight,  in  which  numerous  disinterested 
natives  are  invited  to  take  part.  Milk  is  sold  in  a 
manner  too  direct  to  admit  of  adulteration,  for  the 
cow  is  milked  in  front  of  the  customer's  door ;  but 
skei^tical  Egyptians  hint  that  the  cows  are  syste- 
matically plied  with  lukewarm  water  before  setting 
out.  A  ridiculous  custom  is  to  have  a  small  boy  ac- 
company the  cows,  carrying  under  his  arm  a  stuffed 
calf,  to  make  them  submit  willingly  to  the  milking 
process.  Badly  moth-eaten,  with  stuffing  of  straw 
l)rotruding  from  a  dozen  places,  this  calf  is  always 
in  evidence.    It  is  a  custom,  and  in  Egypt  cus- 

12 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

torn  is  unalterable ;  and,  presumably,  cows  are  not 
looked  upon  as  possessing  sufficient  intellect  to 
know   a  live  from   a   dead  calf,  or  to  recognize        ""*\ 
their  own. 

Cairo  presents  the  best  exemplification  of  the 
confusion  of  tongues  descending  from  the  building       / 
of  the  tower  of  Babel  that  I  know.    Every  lan- 
guage'land  patois  of  Europe,  every  shade  of  ver- 
nacular of  Asia  and  Africa,  may  there  be  heard. 
It  is  humiliating  to  us  of  the  Western  world,  who 
may  have  struggled  the  best  part  of  a  lifetime  with ;»-/ / 
a  single  foreign  language,  to  find  the  Cairene  able  // 
to  speak  fluently  a  dozen.     The  dragoman  or  the  / 
donkey-boy  can  exploit  his  vocation  in  a  wonder-/^,,^ 
f  ul  variety  of  tongues,  although  possibly  unable  to     / 
read  his  name  in  any.    Ask  your  way  in  the  street,  / 
and  you  must  not  be  surprised  if  the  information 
be  given  in  a  sentence  made  up  of  words  from 
English,    French,  and    Italian,    perhaps    with    a 
Greek  word  thrown  in.    Polyglot  as  Cairo  is,  the 
medley  of  coinages  is  none  the  less  confusing.   Send 
your  dragoman  to  the  bazaars  in  quest  of  some 
article,  and  he  may  return  with  the  astonishing  in- 
formation that  it  costs  "  one  napoleon,  half  a  sov- 
ereign, and  eighteen  piasters  tarifi:."     It  calls  for 
pencil,  paper,  and  patience  to  compute  the  price  of 
the  article  you  are  endeavoring  to  buy  through 
your  polynumismatic  servant.     And  the  piaster, 
the  basis  of  computation,  has  a  confusing  value. 
The  piaster  "  current "  of  small  transactions  is  but 
half  as  much  as  the  piaster  "tariff"  of  high  life ;  and 
this  latter  is  only  five  cents  in  American  money. 

13 


Present-Day  Egypt 


Cairenes  are  ever  out  of  doors.  Their  religious 
calendar  teems  with  ceremonious  anniversaries, 
added  to  which  are  the  numerous  fantasias  and 
fete-days  required  by  their  devotion  to  the  khedive ; 
and  if  things  of  their  own  are  quiet,  there  being  no 
wedding  to  be  celebrated,  or  friend  setting  out  on 
the  pilgrimage  to  Mecca,  or  returning  from  the 
visit  to  the  prophet's  tomb,  the  native  classes  go  to 
see  the  Greeks  honor  the  name-day  of  their  king, 
or  the  French  colony  commemorate  the  fall  of  the 
Bastille,  With  calendars  ranging  from  the  Hejira 
to  the  Gregorian,  it  is  indeed  an  off  day  when  no- 
thing is  being  celebrated.  Cairo  has  three  fixed 
Sabbaths.  Friday  is  that  of  the  Mohammedan, 
Saturday  of  the  Jew,  and  the  succeeding  day  the 
Sunday  of  the  Christian  church.^!  Being  lunar,  the 
Mohammedan  year  is  eleven  days  shorter  than  our 
own.  This  makes  it  difficult  for  strangers  to  know 
just  when  a  celebration  is  to  occur,  for  the  interest- 
ing function  that  one's  friend  witnessed  in  midwin- 
ter fifteen  years  ago,  and  told  you  that  you  must 
not  fail  to  see,  now  falls  in  midsummer. 

Every  Moslem  knows  by  his  almanac  when  the 
fasting  month  of  Ramadan  should  begin ;  but  the 
crescent  moon  must  first  be  seen  by  the  imperial 
astronomer  in  Constantinople,  and  the  fact  be  tele- 
graphed to  Cairo,  before  the  citadel  guns  can  an- 
nounce to  the  Egyptian  nation  that  the  celebration 
of  [the  ninth  month  of  their  year  may  officially 
begin.  The  streets  then  become  thronged,  the 
story-tellers  at  the  cafes  draw  large  audiences,  and 
thousands  of  the  faithful  spend  the  night  in  the 

14 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

mosques.  Ramadan  is  observed  by  the  masses 
with  fasting  by  day,  for  nothing  passes  their  lips ; 
even  the  cigarette  is  eschewed.  But  the  instant  the 
sun  disappears  below  the  horizon,  feasting  begins, 
and,  with  smoking  and  merrymaking,  lasts  well 
through  the  night.  The  mortality  is  very  great 
when  Ramadan  comes  in  summer. 

The  occasion  of  a  wedding  is  a  favorite  revel. 
Noisy  processions,  feasting  of  friends,  and  feeding 
of  poor,  last  nearly  a  week.  The  wealthy  pasha  or 
bey  gives  a  public  character  to  his  nuptials  by 
having  a  military  band  and  perhaps  an  escort  of 
soldiers  head  the  cortege  bearing  the  bride  to  her 
new  home.  A  bride  elect  of  the  middle  class  is 
dragged  indefinitely  about  the  streets,  hidden 
within  a  closed  carriage  by  Persian  shawls  drawn 
over  the  windows,  and  preceded  usually  by  a  clat- 
tering band  producing  the  most  penetrating  of 
music  from  discordant  instruments.  A  string  of 
camels  brings  the  furniture  and  gaudily  painted 
boxes  to  her  future  husband's  house,  and  for  sev- 
eral nights  the  home  of  the  happy  pair  is  bright 
with  lamps,  and  gay  with  thousands  of  red-and- 
green  flags  stretched  across  the  street.  A  spectac- 
ular procession  is  that  in  which  the  happy  woman 
is  carried  in  a  palanquin,  borne  by  two  camels,  and 
surrounded  by  wild-looking  fiends  of  the  desert 
on  other  camels,  who  extract  an  unconscionable 
amount  of  noise  from  kettledrums.  This  is  a  sur- 
vival of  the  Cairo  of  old,  and  if  the  procession  be 
headed  by  half-naked  mountebanks  and  swordsmen 
who  frequently  engage  in  mimic  combat,  and  a 

15 


Present-Day  Egypt 

group  of  dancing-girls,  it  attracts  great  crowds. 
To  the  bride,  however,  crouched  for  hours  within 
the  palanquin,  swaying  and  rocking  with  the  stride 
of  the  camels,  the  ordeal  must  be  as  joyless  as  a 
crossing  of  the  English  Channel  in  choppy  weather 
to  one  yielding  easily  to  mal  de  7)ier.  The  poor 
man  feels  justified  in  borrowing  at  ten,  perhaps 
twenty,  per  cent,  a  month,  the  funds  essential  to  a 
proper  celebration  of  his  marriage,  even  if  it  takes 
years  to  liberate  himself  from  the  toils  of  the  Greek 
lending  him  the  money. 

In  the  month  of  Shawal  occurs  the  impressive 
ceremony  of  despatching  the  holy  carpet  to  Mecca, 
when  streets  are  filled  with  soldiery,  officials  of  state 
in  gold-embroidered  uniforms,  and  thousands  upon 
thousands  of  the  followers  of  the  prophet.  Every 
true  believer,  if  possible,  passes  the  day  in  the 
streets,  and  women  and  children  appear  in  gay  at- 
tire. The  ceremonial  is  held  in  the  great  square 
under  the  citadel.  Khedive  and  dignitaries  are 
present  in  state  to  start  formally  the  caravan  bear- 
ing the  sacred  carpet,  under  military  escort,  on  its 
journey  to  Arabia.  The  Egyptian  troops  in  the 
capital,  with  bands  playing,  accompany  the  caval- 
cade to  the  outskirts  of  the  city.  A  pyramidal 
wooden  structure,  covered  with  embroidered  stuffs 
emblazoned  in  gold  with  quotations  from  the  Koran, 
perched  on  the  back  of  a  camel  of  splendid  propor- 
tions, contains  the  carpet.  People  press  violently 
forward  to  touch  the  swinging  draj^ery  of  the  camel 
with  their  hands,  which  having  done,  they  kiss 
with  unmistakable  fervor;  and  as  the  procession 

i6 


MAKKIAUE   I'ROCESSIOX   AND   SABER   DAXCE,    CAIRO. 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

passes  through  the  narrow  streets,  many  women  let 
down  from  latticed  windows  shawls  or  face- veils,  to 
touch  with  them  the  sacred  object.  The  pilgrimage 
takes  place  annually,  and  the  carpet  is  placed  on 
or  near  the  sacred  sanctuary  in  the  temple  at 
Mecca  where  rests  the  body  of  Mohammed.  The 
caravan  returns  to  Cairo  with  the  carpet  of  the 
previous  year.  With  the  pomp  attending  its  des- 
patch, and  its  journey  to  and  from  Mecca,  the  car- 
pet costs  the  Egyptian  government  fully  fifty 
thousand  dollars.  An  item  of  expense  is  the  newly 
minted  coins  thrown  to  the  multitude  by  the  khe- 
dive  when  bidding  the  chief  of  the  caravan  to 
guard  jealously  his  priceless  charge. 

The  man  who  has  been  to  Mecca  is  supremely 
happy,  knowing  that  paradise  will  be  his  reward 
for  a  life  devoted  to  the  teachings  of  the  Koran. 
Neighbors  who  have  not  made  the  pilgrimage  look 
upon  him  as  an  exalted  person,  admitting  that  his 
religion  is  of  a  quality  superior  to  their  own.  He 
may  wear  interwoven  in  his  turban  a  strip  of  green 
cloth,  the  prophet's  own  color,  proclaiming  to  all 
whom  it  may  concern  that  its  owner  has  prayed 
within  the  holy  of  holies,  and  is  evermore  to  be 
given  the  title  of  hadji.  These  dignities  and  priv- 
ileges are  as  nothing,  in  his  opinion,  compared  with 
the  right  to  announce  pictorially  from  his  house- 
front  the  salient  features  of  the  trip  to  the  sacred 
city.  This  he  does  in  his  own  way,  with  his  own 
hands,  and  with  perspective  wholly  wanting.  If 
he  went  from  Cairo  to  Suez  by  railway— which  he 
did  on  a  third-class  ticket,  probably— he  describes 

19 


Present-Day  Egypt 

the  fact  by  portraying  in  indigo  blue  an  impossible 
locomotive,  drawing  a  train  of  impossible  pink 
cars.  A  steamboat  of  marvelous  design,  witli  pad- 
dle-wheels revolving  in  a  mass  of  fish,  tells  in  pur- 
ple how  the  trip  from  Suez  to  Djeddah  was  made. 
A  train  of  green  camels  informs  the  uninitiated  how 
the  pious  man  journeyed  from  the  Eed  Sea  coast 
across  the  desert  to  Mecca.  Huge  lions,  with  round 
and  almost  human  faces,  in  bright  orange,  tell  of 
dangers  in  the  desert  march.  But  all  ends  happily, 
for  the  pictured  story  invariably  concludes  with 
the  caravan  halted  before  the  prophet's  tomb,  with 
the  good  man  prostrating  himself  in  prayer  thereat. 
Hadji  Youssef  Achmet  knows  no  joy  greater  than 
sitting  in  his  doorway  beneath  this  mural  proof  of 
holiness,  receiving  the  salaams  of  passers-by.  Eter- 
nal peace  is  his.  He  knows  this,  and  every  Mussul- 
man seeing  him  knows  it  as  well. 

The  strangest  of  Cairo  customs,  perhaps,  is  the 
hiring  of  professional  mourners,  who,  at  a  funeral, 
do  the  shrieking,  howling,  and  garment-rending  for 
the  bereaved  family.  These  black-shawled  and  bare- 
footed objects  are  frequently  to  be  seen,  like  birds 
of  ill  omen,  squatting  outside  a  house  wherein  a  per- 
son is  dying,  awaiting  the  signal  to  begin  their 
lamentations,  which  presumably  vary  in  degree  ac- 
cording to  the  stipulated  payment.  They  follow 
the  corpse  to  the  cemetery,  bewailing  at  the  top  of 
their  voices  and  rending  their  scanty  clothing.  The 
place  of  interment  reached,  the  wailing  stops  sud- 
denly ;  the  women  enjoy  a  chat  by  themselves,  pos- 
sibly discuss  the  prospects  of  further  business,  and, 

20 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

if  satisfied  with  the  money  given  them  by  the  rel- 
atives of  the  deceased,  trot  off  homeward.  Other 
forms  of  bereavement  give  them  employment  also. 
A  score  of  these  hags  follow  to  the  railway-station 
the  squad  of  policemen  taking  a  convict  to  prison. 
The  women  howl  and  curse,  throw  handfuls  of  dust 
over  their  heads,  scream  voluble  and  wide-embra- 
cing Arabic  oaths  at  the  authorities,  and  make  the 
street  almost  unbearable  with  shrieks  and  lamen- 
tations. The  train  started  for  Tourah,  the  shrieking 
subsides,  and  they  are  ready  for  further  profes- 
sional engagements.  The  conscripting  of  young 
men  for  the  army  being  profoundly  dreaded,  hired 
wallers  accompany  their  weeping  relatives  when 
the  unhappy  lads  are  marched  to  the  barracks. 

The  Cairene,  never  cultivating  physical  exertion, 
emerges  from  boyhood  to  sedate  manhood  before  he 
is  twenty,  with  tranquillity  his  chief  characteristic. 
The  middle-class  man  enjoys  looking  at  dances,  but 
never  dances  himself ;  he  is  fond  of  music,  but  never 
sings  or  plays.  Everything  athletic  is  foreign  to  his 
nature.  He  takes  to  sedentary  amusements,  and 
in  shop  or  home  will  ponder  long  over  a  game  of 
draughts  or  chess.  If  belonging  to  the  class  that 
goes  to  the  cafe  for  diversion,  he  will  watch  for 
hours  the  antics  of  street  hoodlums,  or  join  in  a 
game  of  interminable  backgammon— which  all 
Egj^ptians  love— to  decide  who  is  to  pay  a  few 
milliemes  for  the  coffee  or  the  smoke  from  the  hub- 
ble-bubble. "Whien  he  can  sit  for  hours  in  front  of 
the  cafe,  smoking  the  hubble-bubble,  he  realizes 
that  he  is  doing  the  superlative  of  all  that  is  grand, 

21 


Present-Day  Egypt 

and  feels  justified  in  giving  it  the  character  of  a 
public  spectacle.  This  is  the  conservative  Egyp- 
tian, who  sees  nothing  good  in  the  movement  Euro- 
peanizing  his  beloved  Cairo. 

Men  of  the  wealthy  classes  are  becoming  daily 
less  and  less  Oriental  in  appearance  and  habits. 
They  wear  clothes  of  Parisian  make,  pose  before 
the  photographer's  camera,  speak  fluent  French, 
dance  with  foreign  ladies,  flirt  a  little,  and  profess 
to  think  "  five-o'clock  tea  "  an  institution  reflecting 
the  highest  civilization.  Each  has  his  stall  at  the 
opera,  and  applauds  at  the  right  time.  Between 
acts  he  calls  on  friends  of  the  Jiaiit  ton  in  their 
boxes,  and  perhaps  recruits  a  coaching  or  river 
party  for  the  following  day.  If  the  visitors  are 
from  abroad,  the  courteous  native  most  likely  will 
explain  that  as  a  lad  he  witnessed  the  premier  pro- 
duction of  "Aida"  in  that  very  theater,  Verdi's 
opera  being  an  item  in  the  program  arranged  by 
Ismail  for  the  edification  of  the  Empress  Eugenie 
♦and  other  distinguished  guests  attending  the  open- 
ing of  the  Suez  Canal.  If  the  visitors  are  from 
Alexandria  only,  the  Cairo  gentleman  probably 
rings  the  changes  on  the  contrasting  temperature 
of  the  two  cities,  wondering  how  Alexandrians 
can  stand  the  excessive  humidity  of  the  coast. 
The  visitors  retaliate  by  claiming  that  the  super- 
dryness  of  the  capital  affects  their  health,  whereas 
in  Alexandria  they  are  always  well.  Thus  the 
weather,  in  its  humid  aspect,  is  sadly  overworked 
as  a  topic  of  small  talk  in  the  country  ha^dng  the 
best  and  driest  climate  in  the  world.    If  this  ac- 

22 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

complislied  Egyptian  would  remove  his  inevitable 
tarboosh,  in  shape  and  shade  of  red  the  latest  thing 
from  Stamboul,  he  might  to  all  intents  and  pur- 
poses pass  for  a  European.  But  he  never  Tnll, 
for  he  is  as  devoted  to  the  religion  of  Islam  as  the 
man  praying  five  times  a  day  in  mosque  or  street. 
His  Europeanizing  is  but  superficial,  and  in  his 
heart,  perhaps,  he  abhors  all  infidels. 
I  ./  The  ladies  of  the  rich  man's  household  likewise 
/know  French,  and  affect  gowns  and  ornaments  from 
J  Paris  and  Vienna.  Custom  compels  them  to  view 
^  the  opera  from  screened  boxes,  and  they  are  never 
included  in  coaching  or  river  parties.  They  wear 
the  gauziest  of  veils— exceedingly  thin  if  their  faces 
are  beautiful— when  driven  from  palace  to  palace  in 
European-built  carriages.  If  opportunity  offers, 
they  are  not  averse  to  peering  from  behind  their 
carriage  curtains  at  passing  Europeans,  revealing 
glimpses  of  their  faces,  and  possibly  the  fact  that 
they  are  smoking  dainty  cigarettes.  Europeans  are 
inclined  to  believe  that  Egyptian  ladies  admire  Eu- 
ropean customs  and  perhaps  wish  to  emerge  from 
the  veiled  seclusion  of  the  East.  This  is  not  the 
fact,  for  their  adherence  to  the  tenets  of  Mohamme- 
danism is  still  rigid,  and  they  look  pityingly  upon 
foreign  women,  so  little  valued  by  their  lords  as  to 
be  permitted  to  roam  over  the  world  with  faces 
exposed  to  any  man's  admiration. 

There  is  something  profoundly  impressive  in  the 
devotion  of  the  Mohammedan  to  his  relisrion.  It 
governs  his  actions,  pervades  his  thoughts,  con- 
versation, business  dealings,  and  conduct  of  every- 

23 


Present-Day  Egypt 

day  life.  He  reads  his  Koran  faithfully,  for  it  lays 
down  his  standard  of  ethics,  and  is  the  foundation 
of  his  code  of  laws.  See  him  at  prayer,  in  the 
mosque,  field,  or  busy  street,  addressing  his  suppli- 
cations to  Allah,  through  his  prophet,  face  turned 
to  Mecca;  his  faith  is  complete  and  his  sincerity 
unquestionable.  He  cares  not  how  the  onlooker 
may  regard  him.  The  fellah  on  the  canal-bank 
utters  the  same  fervent,  heartfelt  prayer  as  the 
pasha  prostrate  upon  his  silken  rug  within  the 
Mehemet  Ali  mosque.  The  cardinal  requirement 
of  the  Koran,  that  food  and  riches  must  be  shared 
with  the  unfortunate,  is  literally  obeyed.  The 
Mohammedan  has  no  cant  or  hypocrisy  in  his  na- 
ture. He  is  tolerant  of  all  religions,  but  looks  with 
horror  upon  the  unbeliever.  It  is  the  good  Moham- 
medan of  whom  I  write— and  there  are  many  such ; 
not  the  fanatic,  liable  by  excitement  to  become  a 
frenzied  demon. 

The  provision  of  the  Koran  permitting  four 
wives  has  become  more  honored  in  the  breach  by 
Cairenes  than  in  the  observance.  Few  Egyptians 
in  public  life  have  now  more  than  one  wife.  Khe- 
dive Tewfik  gave  his  influence  to  the  monogamic 
idea;  and  the  present  khedive,  although  not  tak- 
ing a  wife  from  the  elevated  class  from  which  his 
mother  came,  is  following  his  father's  example. 
The  middle  class  is  gradually  following  the  matri- 
monial precept  of  its  superiors.  Possibly  its  men 
found  polygamy  not  particularly  conducive  to  do- 
mestic tranquillity,  in  the  absence  of  sufficient 
means  to  maintain  several  establishments.     The 

24 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

common  people,  however,  adhere  to  a  plurality  of 
wives,  resenting  what  they  look  upon  as  a  move- 
ment to  abridge  the  Koranic  custom  and  privilege. 

The  formality  of  divorce  is  much  simpler  than 
that  of  marriage.  Among  those  not  burdened  with 
estates  and  personal  belongings  it  is  as  easy  and 
direct  as  the  dismissal  of  a  servant.  The  words 
"Woman,  I  divorce  thee,"  uttered  three  times  in  the 
presence  of  witnesses,  if  attended  by  the  return  of 
the  trifling  sum  that  formed  her  dower,  are  as 
binding  as  the  final  decree  of  any  court  in  the 
world.  The  restitution  of  dower  sometimes  leads 
to  complications,  but  it  is  necessary  to  render  the 
husband's  words  effectual. 

Woman's  position  in  the  Egyptian  capital  is 
materially  benefiting  by  the  movement  looking  to- 
ward the  education  of  native  girls.  Twenty  years 
ago  native  ladies  regarded  education  as  the  learn- 
ing of  sufficient  French  or  Italian  to  read  novels  or 
follow  the  plot  of  the  opera.  The  past  few  years 
have  developed  a  desire  among  upper-class  women 
to  have  their  daughters  educated  with  as  much 
care  as  boys  are,  and  an  important  adjunct  to  the 
household,  consequently,  is  the  European  gover- 
ness, most  often  English.  A  sister  of  the  khedive, 
the  Princess  Khadija,  is  an  active  agent  in  improv- 
ing the  educational  status  of  poor  girls. 

Most  women  visitors  to  Cairo  are  curious  to  see 
the  interior  of  a  harem.  But  this,  as  Europeans 
understand  it,  no  longer  exists  in  Egypt.  Every 
native  house,  however,  has  its  harem  division,  set 
apart  for  women,  as  the  salamlikis  for  men— nothing 

27 


Present-Day  Egypt 

more.  In  this  department  reside  the  wife  or  wives 
and  children  of  the  master,  with  the  addition,  per- 
haps, of  his  mother.  In  this  case  her  rule  is  prob- 
ably absolute.  It  is  she  who  chooses  instructresses 
for  the  children,  orders  the  affairs  of  the  household, 
and  even  prescribes  the  fabrics,  fashions,  and  adorn- 
ments of  the  women,  who  are  simply  the  wives  of 
his  Excellency  the  Pasha.  It  is  mother-in-law  rule, 
literally.  The  windows  of  the  harem  usually  over- 
look a  courtyard  or  rear  street,  and  are  screened 
with  mushrabeah  lattices,  penetrable  only  by  the 
gaze  of  a  person  within.  To  minister  to  the  wants 
of  the  women's  division,  a  small  army  of  servants — 
shiny  black  "  slaves  "  from  Nubia  and  Berber,  and 
possibly  a  fair  Circassian  or  two,  imported  from 
Constantinople — is  essential.  "  Slavery  "  of  this 
sort  is  scarcely  bondage.  It  is  the  law  of  Egypt 
that  manumission  can  be  had  for  the  asking,  with 
little  circumlocution  or  delay.  These  servitors  are 
kindly  treated,  value  their  home,  and  shrink  from 
any  movement  toward  legal  freedom.  Except  to 
the  master  and  sons  of  the  house,  the  harem  is 
closed  to  all  men,  but  women  friends  come  and  go 
freely.  The  tall,  high-cheek-boned  black  men 
guarding  the  entrance  to  the  harem,  in  these  pro- 
gressive days  in  Egypt  possessing  no  suggestion 
of  the  houri  scene  of  the  stage,  are  trained  from 
childhood  to  keep  unauthorized  persons  from  in- 
truding, and  have  a  highly  developed  aversion  to 
sight-seers. 

The  howling  dervish  of  Cairo  is  more  or  less  a 
fraud.    Go  any  Friday  afternoon  in  the  season— 

28 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

his  religious  fervor  finds  expression  only  during 
the  tourist  season— to  the  little  mosque  on  the 
Nile  bank  midway  between  Kasr  el-Ain  and  Old 
Cairo,  and  witness  the  weekly  ziWr  of  these  fiends. 
Sitting  in  a  circle  on  the  stone  floor  of  a  high- 
vaulted  room  are  the  dervishes,  twenty  or  thirty 
in  number.  Their  bearded  leader,  spectacled,  and 
grave  under  his  green  turban,  squats  on  a  mat 
in  the  center.  Standing  outside  the  circle  is  a 
smooth  and  oily-faced  old  man,  with  a  simple  reed 
flute,  flanked  by  others  with  large  tom-toms.  Clus- 
tered along  two  sides  of  the  room  are  tourists,  cos- 
tumed in  a  way  that  would  delight  an  arranger  of 
up-to-date  melodrama  of  the  spectacular  variety. 
Ladies,  having  misgivings  as  to  what  the  entertain- 
ment is  to  be,  seem  to  wish  to  sit  behind  the  men, 
until  the  hotel  dragomans  having  the  visit  in  charge 
assure  them  that  it  is  to  be  "  very  nice — very  nice, 
yes !  Mrs.  Vanderbilt  of  Chicago  she  come  last 
week,  yes ! " 

A  hush  of  silence  falls  over  dervishes  and  tourists, 
and  the  leader  mumbles  a  prayer.  The  circle  of 
performers  break  into  response ;  first  in  quiet,  mea- 
sured tones,  then  faster,  faster,  faster.  Their  bodies 
sway  in  perfect  unison  as,  now  growing  vociferous, 
they  aflirm  the  creed  of  Islam.  Faster,  faster  go 
the  bodies,  and  the  wild  chant  of  "  Allah  la  Ilaha," 
in  perfect  cadence,  is  becoming  a  volume  like  that 
of  Niagara.  The  leader  raises  a  warning  hand,  and 
the  hush  that  follows  instantly  is  broken  only  by 
the  cooing  of  doves  resting  on  the  ledges  of  the 
windows  in  the  dome.    Then,  low  and  mysterious, 

29 


Present-Day  Egypt 

comes  again  the  mumble  of  the  leader.  The  der- 
vishes spring  to  their  feet.  Off  go  robes  and  tur- 
bans, their  stringy  locks  falling  nearly  to  their 
hips.  One  of  the  howlers,  placing  his  hand  to  the 
side  of  his  mouth,  strikes  up  a  falsetto  note  that 
rises  above  the  barbaric  roar  of  the  tom-toms  and 
flute,  plaintive,  penetrating.  Faster  and  faster 
swing  heads  and  bodies ;  the  air  is  filled  with  swish- 
ing hair ;  heads  come  perilously  near  striking  the 
floor,  or  leaving  their  shoulders  in  the  backward 
swing.  Every  dervish  is  frantic,  beside  himself 
with  the  ebullition  of  fervor,  as  he  repeats  in  hisses 
the  sacred  exclamation,  "  Heu,  heu.  heu,  heu,  heu, 
heu,  heu."  On,  on  they  go,  until  their  mental  in- 
toxication is  complete,  and  with  staring  eyes  and 
frothing  mouths  two  or  three  sink  exhausted  to  the 
floor.  Admirers  break  into  the  circle  and  lovingly 
carry  into  the  air  the  dervishes  who  have  "gone 
melhusP  The  performance  of  the  howling  der- 
vishes is  over,  and  the  coins  given  gladly  by  the 
spectators  to  get  away  from  the  mosque  amount  to 
enough  to  keep  the  howlers  until  the  succeeding 
Friday.  It  is  something  to  see  —  once.  The  mo- 
tives of  the  whirling  dervishes,  like  those  of  their 
howling  brethren,  are  open  to  suspicion. 

Another  widely  described  institution,  satisfying 
most  spectators  with  a  single  view,  is  the  dancing 
of  the  Ghawazi  girls,  to  be  witnessed  at  a  dozen 
Cairo  theaters  and  cafes.  The  Chicago  Midway, 
and  certain  places  of  amusement  in  Paris,  by 
means  of  elaborations,  have  given  this  exhibition 
undeserved  prominence.    A  performance  wherein 

3° 


I    I  LI.  k.>  It.*.,  V'' 


I '■-"■< 


A  HOWLING  DERVISH. 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

the  feet  are  seldom  lifted  from  the  floor  can  be 
termed  "dancing"  only  by  courtesy;  but  as  an 
illustration  of  what  the  muscles  of  the  body  may 
be  trained  to  do,  the  danse  du  ventre  is  in  a  way  re- 
markable. The  Ghawazi,  bred  from  childhood  to 
their  calling,  are  deemed  essential  at  every  form 
of  Egyptian  merrymaking,  prince  and  fellah  alike 
employing  them.  These  women  form  a  class,  with 
headquarters  at  Keneh  in  UiDper  Egypt,  and  by 
thirty  have  generally  managed  to  wriggle  them- 
selves into  a  competency.  They  are  not  necessa- 
rily immoral,  but  are  not  respected,  the  habitual 
exposure  of  the  face,  if  nothing  more,  placing  them 
beyond  the  pale. 

Ophthalmia  is  the  curse  of  the  native  in  Cairo. 
/  Of  six  people  of  the  poorer  class  perhaps  only  two 
will  have  fair  sight ;  and  of  the  rest,  one  will  be 
blind,  one  can  see  from  but  one  eye,  and  two  will 
have  otherwise  defective  vision.  Few  Egyptians 
have  perfect  eyesight,  and  the  superstitious  dread 
of  falling  under  the  baneful  influence  of  the  "  evil 
eye"  is  responsible  for  this  condition.  Poor  chil- 
dren go  for  years  practically  unwashed,  the  pa- 
rents' theory  being  that  if  their  children  are  made 
attractive  they  are  almost  certain  to  be  stricken  by 
the  evil  eye.  Their  unclean  faces  attract  hordes 
of  insects,  never  brushed  away  by  their  idolizing 
mothers,  for  that  would  be  unlucky.  During  the 
summer  months  especially,  children's  eyes  are 
almost  hidden  by  pestiferous  flies,  and  a  race  of 
people  with  imperfect  vision  is  the  result.  Even 
educated  Egyptians  have  the  superstition  to  some 

33 


Present-Day  Egypt 

extent,  and  men  and  women  of  liigh  degree  wear 
rings  of  silver  wire  to  protect  them  from  the  evil 
eye.  Cairo  would  be  a  rich  field  for  the  exercise 
of  a  little  practical  philanthropy  based  on  the 
employment  of  soap,  water,  and  scrubbing-brush ; 
but  it  would  come  into  conflict  with  the  religion, 
which  makes  of  the  blind  man  a  person  to  be 
revered,  and  affords  him  an  almost  priestly  occu- 
pation. 

Strange  to  relate,  Cairo  is  being  adorned  with 
statues,  like  cities  in  the  Christian  world.  In  his 
determination  to  make  his  capital  a  triumph  of 
artistic  beauty,  Ismail  courageously  ordered  a 
French  sculptor,  thirty  years  or  more  ago,  to  model 
a  few  figures  of  Egyptian  military  worthies.  The 
faithful  in  Alexandria  had  permitted  a  colossal 
effigy  in  bronze  of  Mehemet  Ali  to  be  raised  in  the 
public  square,  although  a  tenet  of  the  Koran  was 
violated  thereby.  Another  statue,  perpetuating  the 
military  exploits  of  the  second  viceroy  of  Egypt, 
Ibrahim  Pasha,  had  been  erected  in  the  Place  of 
the  Opera  in  Cairo,  without  provoking  an  outbreak 
among  strict  followers  of  the  Koran.  The  bronze 
lions  guarding  the  Nile  bridge  were  likewise  ac- 
cepted without  protest.  Ismail  believed  it  would 
awaken  the  martial  spirit  of  his  subjects  if  every 
public  square  in  Cairo  could  have  its  bronze  pre- 
sentment of  a  departed  hero  or  notable ;  and  if  it 
amused  him  to  turn  the  old  city  of  the  califs  into 
a  statuary  gallery,  who  was  to  say  nay  ?  I  suspect 
that  Ismail  must  have  seen  the  artistic  side  of  the 
sculptured  sentiment  of  the  Campo  Santo  in  Genoa. 

34 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

He  was  resolved,  at  all  events,  to  erect  images  of 
distinguislied  Egyptians  all  over  Cairo,  and  French- 
men were  employed  to  make  them.  Two  were  de- 
livered before  the  national  exchequer  was  seized 
with  financial  cramp  and  further  supplies  coun- 
termanded. For  lack  of  money,  perhaps,  or  the 
discovery  that  it  was  forbidden  by  the  religion  of 
Islam  to  fashion  the  image  of  man,  the  statues  were 
given  a  resting-place  in  a  shed.  Two  or  three  years 
ago  they  were  excavated  from  the  dust  of  a  quarter 
of  a  century,  and,  under  the  guidance  of  British 
engineers,  were  placed  upright  on  granite  pedestals 
in  the  new  quarter  of  the  city ;  and  natives,  squat- 
ting on  their  haunches  in  the  squares  thus  embel- 
lished, find  in  them  a  subject  for  never-ending 
chatter.  They  have  forgotten  that  Ismail  had  the 
figures  made,  and  place  the  responsibility  of  the 
bronzes  at  the  door  of  the  Inglesy. 

Had  Ismail  not  lost  his  throne,  and  the  money- 
lenders of  Europe  been  content  to  let  him  have  as 
much  cash  as  he  wanted,  Cairo  would  to-day  be 
more  beautiful.  It  was  his  dream  to  make  an  East- 
ern Paris  of  his  desert  capital.  The  French  me- 
tropolis, he  arguedf-eould  be  reproduced,  if  the 
financial  agents  of  Paris  and  London  did  not  object. 
A  considerable  part  of  the  money  borrowed  was 
spent  by  Ismail  at  Gizeh,  nearly  opposite  the  spot 
where  tradition  claims  that  Moses  was  found  in 
the  bulrushes.  Gardens  like  the  Tuileries  extended 
from  the  Nile  nearly  to  the  edge  of  the  Libyan 
Desert ;  dozens  of  lath-and-plaster  structures,  with 
walls  painted  in  a  style  suggesting  solidity,  went 

35 


Present-Day  Egypt 

up  as  by  magic,  in  the  fulfilment  of  his  building 
passion ;  and  many  are  the  stories  told  of  the  mag- 
nificence of  everything  he  did. 

Electric  tram-cars  now  rush  boisterously  through 
the  streets  of  Cairo,  filled  with  people  who  never 
understood  the  "  go  fever  "  until  the  advent  of  the 
street-railway,  two  or  three  years  ago;  and  the 
Egyptians'  best  friend,  the  donkey,  has  been  cast 
out  from  the  capital  by  the  trolley-car.  The 
Egyptians  take  so  kindly  to  tram-car  riding  that 
one  wonders  if  their  ancestors,  who  developed  as- 
tronomy and  mathematics  as  sciences  and  begot 
culture,  knew  the  secret  of  the  electric  current.  The 
patrons  of  the  tram-cars  are  soldiers,  Levantines, 
small  merchants  and  clerks,  turbaned  sheiks.  Bed- 
ouins, and  simple  fellaheen  in  town  on  business 
—and  perhaps  this  business  is  chiefly  to  have  a 
ride  on  the  cars.  In  every  direction— to  Bulak, 
the  citadel,  Abbassieh,  through  the  Ismaileh  quar- 
ter, even  to  the  site  of  ancient  Fostat— the  cars 
run,  their  occupants  looking  pityingly  upon  way- 
farers employing  nature's  locomotion  or  the  humble 
donkey  or  stalking  camel.  The  people  have  learned 
the  intricacies  of  "  transfers  "  and  "round  trips,"  and 
their  satisfaction  over  the  street  traction  enterprise, 
doing  more  than  all  other  agencies  to  obliterate  the 
Cairo  of  old,  seems  sublime. 

There  is  something  painfully  incongruous  in  the 
idea  of  being  carried  by  trolley  to  the  Sphinx  and 
Pyramids.  But  the  line  enables  the  visitor  who  has 
first  driven  in  state  to  Gizeh  to  go  again  and  again 
at  a  cost  of  a  few  piasters.    The  authorities  con- 

36 


I 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

trolling  public  affairs  were  not  so  short-sighted 
when  giving  the  concession  for  the  Pyramids  rail- 
way as  newspaper  readers  may  have  believed.  The 
line  in  no  way  mars  the  superb  beauty  of  the  em- 
bowered causeway  leading  from  the  Nile  to  Mena 
House,  for  it  is  a  goodly  distance  to  the  southward 
of  the  carriageway.  If  the  foreigners  directing 
the  tramway  company  failed  to  make  money  from 
the  start,  it  was  due  for  a  year  or  more  to  their 
being  called  upon  almost  daily  to  pay  for  a  life 
extinguished  or  a  body  maimed  by  their  modern 
cars  of  Juggernaut. 


39 


CHAPTER  II 

IN  FASCINATING  CAIKO  (Continued) 

A  PROOF  of  the  claim  that  Cairo  is  being  Euro- 
peanized  at  an  uncalled-for  pace  is  suggested 
by  innumerable  shop-signs  of  cigarette-makers, 
announcing  that  they  are  "  Purveyors  to  His  High- 
ness the  Khedive,"  when  that  potentate  is  known  to 
use  tobacco  in  no  form ;  another  is  the  ostentatious 
advertisement  of  a  barbering  establishment  that  its 
keeper  is  "  Hair-dresser  to  the  Right  Honorable 
Diplomatic  Agent  of  Oreat  Britain,  by  Appoint- 
ment," when  it  is  seen  that  the  gentleman  referred 
to  has  little  need  for  tonsorial  attentions.  If  these 
petty  dishonesties  fail  to  convince  one  that  the 
Egyptian  capital  is  adopting  European  ways  and 
customs,  the  "Want  to  go  shoo  tin'  t'-day?"  or  the 
"  Want  anyt'ing  I  "—the  latter  covering  a  multitude 
of  sins,— that  will  be  whispered  in  the  stranger's  ear 
by  native  vagabonds  a  dozen  times  in  the  course 
of  a  stroll  in  the  Sharia  Kamel  or  the  Esbekieh 
Gardens,  surely  will;  and  the  side-sjmng  "Con- 
gress "  boots,  made  of  questionable  leather,  and  the 
ulsters  and  other  English  clothes  of  impossible  check 
or  plaid,  disfiguring  the  windows  and  fronts  of  shops 
in  the  Mouski,  will  painfully  accentuate  the  fact. 

40 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

Tliajbazaars,  however,  show  no  sign  of  European 
intrusion,  and  are  to-da}^  as  Oriental  as  when  Lane 
wrote  his  "  Modern  Egyptians."  The  bazaars  of 
Damascus,  possibly,  are  more  correctly  Eastern, 
but  not  so  those  of  Constantinople  and  Smyrna. 
John  Bull  invades  the  bazaars  of  Cairo  only  as  a 
sight-seer  and  purchaser,  wearing  sun-helmet  and 
pugree,  however  chilling  the  wintry  weather.  He 
usually  thinks  the  prices  dear,  and  parts  with  his 
coins  only  after  hours  of  dickering,  and  does  not 
forget  his  bakshish.  The  bazaars  are  the  only 
places  in  Egypt  where  the  tourist  receives  bak- 
shish. Elsewhere  he  gives  it,  or  could  give  it, 
every  minute  of  the  day.  Americans,  on  the  other 
hand,  regard  the  prices  as  cheap,  and  buy,  buy, 
buy.  It  amuses  them  to  sip  the  shopkeeper's  ex- 
cellent coffee  and  smoke  his  perfumed  cigarettes. 
This  hospitality  partaken  of,  they  buy  more  em- 
broidered jackets,  gauze  scarfs,  and  inlaid  weap- 
ons. Both  British  and  American  pay  more  than 
the  things  are  worth,  of  course;  but  the  Trans- 
atlantic purchaser  has  a  balance  of  time  to  his 
credit. 

It  is  novel  to  buy  silk  fabrics  by  weight  rather 
than  by  measurement.  The  slipper  bazaar,  with  the 
sun  shut  out  by  projecting  lattices  and  awnings,  is 
a  subdued  blend  of  red  and  yellow.  Black  leather 
is  seldom  seen  there.  The  crude  art  of  the  brass- 
workers'  lane,  where  serious-faced  youths  embellish 
finger-basins  and  coifee-trays  with  designs  con- 
ceived by  their  forefathers  when  perspective  was 
not  valued,  is  popular.     The  carpet  and  rug  bazaar 

41 


Present-Day  Egypt 

is  a  busy  mart,  where  values  are  high  aud  the 
sellers  understand  human  nature.  Turn  to  the 
right,  turn  to  the  left,  go  where  you  will,  the  shops 
appeal  to  some  taste  or  fancy  you  possess.  The 
jewelry  bazaar,  with  its  anklets  and  nose-rings  of 
leaden-looking  silver  or  brassy  gold,  has  no  tempta- 
tion for  the  American,  however. 

The  dingy  passage  where  scents  are  dealt  in  is  a 
nest  of  cheats  who  can  sell  a  phial  of  common  per- 
fumed oil  for  genuine  attar  or  essence  without  com- 
punction. The  tent  bazaar,  in  which  truly  artistic 
applique  awnings  and  hangings  are  wrought  with- 
out visible  pattern  by  men  and  boys,  is  always 
inviting.  Two  or  three  of  these  needlemen,  per- 
haps, were  sent  to  Chicago  during  the  World's  Fair ; 
but  a  hundred  will  tell  you  they  have  been  in  Chi- 
cago, each  producing  dog-eared  business  cards  or  a 
stray  coin  of  Uncle  Sam's  minting  in  substantia- 
tion of  the  statement.  They  are  agreed  that  the 
exposition  was  a  grand  "fantasia,"  but  most  of 
them  witnessed  it  vicariously.  "Anteekas"  are 
offered  for  sale  in  nearly  every  shop  of  every  de- 
partment of  the  vast  labyrinth.  The  scarab,  es- 
pecially, is  pushed  into  your  face  on  every  hand, 
and  whether  you  give  a  piaster  or  a  dozen  coins  of 
gold,  you  will  have  the  same  uncertainty  as  to  the 
genuineness  of  the  sacred  beetle.  The  Red  Sea 
turquoise,  gummed  to  a  bit  of  reed,  is  likewise 
omnipresent ;  it  is  beautiful  to  look  at,  but  may 
change  color  in  a  week. 

The  throng  of  people  in  the  bazaars  is  a  study  in 
humanity,  as  entertaining,  perhaps,  as  the  contents 

42 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

of  the  shops.  Eotund  women,  enveloped  in  the 
unbecoming  black-silk  liahheli,  displaying  feet  and 
ankles  clad  in  magenta  stockings  and  white  slip- 
pers, seem  to  go  out  of  their  way  to  jostle  Europeans, 
until  driven  off  by  one's  dragoman.  Donkeys,  even 
camels,  laden  with  merchandise,  force  their  way 
through  passages  scarcely  wide  enough  for  two 
persons  walking  abreast.  These,  and  persistent 
beggars  and  offensively  dirty  children,  are  the 
drawbacks  to  one's  enjoyment  here.  But  the 
bazaars  are  interesting,  withal. 

On  the  way  back  through  the  Mouski  a  half -hour 
may  profitably  be  passed  in  viewing  the  fabrication 
at  Hatoun's  or  Parvis's  of  the  mushrabeah  work,  to 
be  utilized  in  artistic  screens  and  tables.  Primitive 
indeed  is  the  method  of  turning  the  myriad  bits  of 
wood  for  the  mushrabeah,  on  tiny  lathes  revolved 
by  hand,  while  the  chisel  is  held  by  the  bare  feet  of 
the  operator,  generally  a  lad,  who  guides  the  tool 
with  the  other  hand. 

The  Mouski  used  to  be  all  that  an  Oriental  street 
of  shops  should  be,  but  the  past  dozen  years  have 
seen  a  great  change  in  its  character.  There  no 
longer  is  matting  overhead,  affording  protection 
from  the  parching  sun  in  summer.  In  its  place 
swinging  signs  indicate  the  presence  of  modern  es- 
tablishments, including  a  "  British  Bar,"  where  all 
and  sundiy  are  cordially  invited  to  try  the  Ameri- 
can drinks  compounded  by  La  Belle  Violette,  "  just 
arrived  from  Chicago."  There  are  jewelers'  shops 
that  would  attract  notice  in  the  Avenue  de  I'Opera 
in  Paris,  the  windows  of  which  are  filled  with  dia- 

45 


Present-Day  Egypt 

monds  and  other  precious  stones  of  a  size  suggest- 
ing that  the  kilo  had  supplanted  the  karat  as  a 
standard  of  weight.  Places  where  ready-made 
clothing  is  sold,  with  unmistakable  Hebraic  names 
over  the  doors,  have  a  remarkab^.e  similarity  to 
Bowery  stores. 

Sandwiched  between  great  magazines  where 
"Prix  Fixe"  cards  are  conspicuously  displayed 
may  yet  be  found  the  doJckan  of  old.  This  is  but 
a  recess  in  the  wall,  with  mastahah,  or  seat,  of  its 
proprietor  on  a  level  with  the  floor  of  the  diminu- 
tive shop.  On  this  the  Arab  trader,  in  flowing  robe 
and  turban,  spends  the  day,  bargaining  at  times  in 
a  leisurely  way,  now  and  then  dozing,  with  his  ro- 
sary of  sandalwood  beads  ever  between  his  fingers. 
"When  he  goes  out  he  hangs  a  network  curtain  be- 
fore the  shelves  where  his  silken  stuffs,  Cpices,  or 
embroideries  are  stored.  Egyptians-  TT'^spect  the 
netted  veil,  and,  returned  from  his  erra^Kl,  or  prayer 
in  the  mosque,  the  merchant  resumes  his  seat  on 
the  mastabah,  knowing  that  his  stock  has  not  been 
rifled  during  his  absence.  The  water-seller's  cry 
of  "Oh,  may  Grod  compensate  thee,'!.,.n.ciy  attract 
this  merchant,  descended  from  the  times  of  Abra- 
ham and  Joseph.  If  so,  he  exchanges  a  millieme 
for  a  draught  from  the  earthen  jar,  ret  s  to  his 
meditations,  and  dreams  of  vanis^ii  ig  i?  i  of 
Haussmannized  avenues,  and  grea*  rrpojj  -^  >  ith 
plate-glass  windows  filled  with  .rraiculouaiijjapier- 
mache  figures,  in  a  few  years  destined  to  metamor- 
phose the  city  of  the  califs.  The  Mouski,  unhke 
the  bazaars,  is  being  Europeanized  at  a  rate  sad- 

46 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

dening  to  one  who  loves  the  Cairo  of  Ismail  and 
Tewfik. "^ —— 

Habitues  have  their  favorite  mosques,  as  they 
have  their  favorite  singers  at  the  opera  or  horses 
on  the  Ghizerrh  race-course.  With  a  city  covering 
twelve  or  more  square  miles  and  having  a  sky-line 
effect  of  a  forest  of  domes  and  minarets,  there  is 
sufficient  variety  of  places  of  worship  to  suit  any 
taste.  Diminutive  Kait  Bey,  in  the  midst  of  the 
Tombs  of  the  Mamelukes,  is  deservedly  sketched 
and  photographed  scores  of  times  every  day.  The 
unfinished  mosque  of  Eafai,  under  the  citadel,  con- 
tains the  body  of  spendthrift  Ismail,  who  ordered 
its  construction,  but  is  otherwise  unimportant. 
The  gem  of  the  Mohammedan  artistic  world,  ad- 
mitted by  good  judges,  is  the  venerable  and  bat- 
hauD  1  mosque  of  Sultan  Hassan,  close  to  the 
Rafai  au  ture,  always  spoken  of  by  the  faithful 
as  "the  superb."  For  architectural  beauty  this 
Saracenic  pile  surpasses  the  Byzantine  St.  Sophia 
at  Constantinople.  Its  vast  circular  dome,  spring- 
ing from  a  square  tower,  with  corner  pendentives 
of  marv*olons  design,  is  a  liberal  education  in  archi- 
tecture, although  fashioned  more  than  five  hun- 
dred years  ago.  The  Sultan  Hassan  mosque  is  one 
of  the  eral  artistic  structures  known  to  travelers 
c*;  /'  ''^n  tue  tale  is  told  that  the  designer  was  put 
,]t  ''  1  oril  d  his  hands  cut  off  by  his  apprecia- 
'  tive  master  to  prevent  a  repetition  of  his  artistic 
triumph. 

The  pencil-like  minarets  of  the  Mehemet  Ali 
mosque,  visible  long  before  one  reaches  Cairo,  are 

3 

47 


Present-Day  Egypt 

as  beautiful  as  the  Hassan  dome  is  wonderful.  This 
mosque,  with  its  alabaster  walls  and  rich  carpets, . 
is  attractive  in  its  way,  bat  comparatively  new,  and 
consequently  clean.  Connoisseurs  shake  their 
heads,  however,  when  debating  any  pretension  to 
its  being  "  good  art."  The  mosque  of  Amr,  in  Old 
Cairo^  is  the  oldest  in  Egypt,  its  foundation  having 
been  laid  in  the  year  643  of  our  calendar;  and 
Ahmed  Ibn  Tulun  is  the  oldest  in  Cairo  proper, 
having  been  built  in  879.  This  latter  is  said  to  be 
a  copy  of  the  Kaaba  at  Mecca.  Only  in  Coptic 
churches  does  the  visitor  discover  pictorial  repre- 
sentations of  sacred  scenes  and  personages.  The 
Mohammedan  on  occasion  takes  the  spoils  of  war 
to  his  house  of  worship,  but  never  the  presentment 
of  human  form. 

Strange  to  state,  Cairo  has  no  obelisk,  nor  has 
Alexandria.  New  York  possesses  the  last  of  these 
relics,  probably;  London  and  Paris  have  each  a 
fine  one,  while  Rome  and  Constantinople  have 
many.  One  cannot  behold  these  reminders  of  the 
greatness  of  ancient  Egypt,  in  the  cities  mentioned, 
without  a  feeling  of  pity  for  Cairo,  where  rest  the 
Rameses,  but  whose  nearest  obelisk  is  on  the  plain 
of  Heliopolis,  six  miles  away.  Most  tourists  drive 
out  to  see  it,  planning  their  excursion  to  include  a 
visit  to  the  ostrich-farm  close  by,  and  also  to  catch 
a  glimpse  of  the  Virgin's  tree  en  route. 

Early  in  my  residence  in  the  Nile  metropolis  I 
evolved  a  project  for  removing  to  Cairo  the  superb 
obelisk  standing  near  the  river's  bank  at  Luxor,  and 
if  possible  having  the  expense  defrayed  by  a  few 

48 


"SVOOD-WOKKEUt;. 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

wealthy  compatriots  finding  health  and  recreation 
under  Egyptian  skies.  First  I  sought  the  opinion 
of  a  New-Yorker,  proprietor  of  a  great  newspaper, 
on  the  subject.  Accustomed  to  seeing  the  pros  and 
cons  of  a  question  at  a  glance,  with  natural  shrewd- 
ness tempered  by  much  diplomatic  experience,  he 
foresaw  in  a  minute  more  obstacles  to  the  project 
than  I  had  discovered  in  a  month's  consideration 
of  the  scheme.  The  engineering  problems  of  bring- 
ing a  monolith  seventy-five  feet  long  and  weighing 
two  hundred  and  twelve  tons  several  hundred  miles 
down  the  Nile,  and  reerecting  it  in  Abdin  Square, 
had  chiefly  interested  me.  My  New  York  friend 
predicted  an  avalanche  of  reproach  from  the  whole 
civilized  world,  that  would  surely  be  started  directly 
the  matter  was  made  public.  "  It  will  not  do  at 
all,"  he  said,  in  summing  up.  A  Chicago  friend, 
on  the  other  hand,  pronounced  the  scheme  a  good 
one.  "Put  me  down  for  five  hundred  dollars  to- 
ward the  expense;  and  I  can  get  a  dozen  more 
Chicagoans  to  give  the  same,"  he  added. 

In  time  I  was  forced  to  admit  that  the  archsGolo- 
gists  of  France,  Italy,  England,  and  perhaps  the 
United  States,  having  provided  their  own  countries 
with  obelisks,  would  assail  the  suggestion  to  give 
dear  old  Cairo  just  one  of  the  massive  shafts  that 
were  indigenous  to  Egypt ;  and  I  saw  enough  in  the 
opinion  of  the  astute  New-Yorker  to  cool  my  ardor 
and  cause  me  to  abandon  the  plan  that  sentiment 
had  suggested.  But  I  cannot  help  thinking  that  the 
capital  of  Egypt  is  entitled  to  an  obelisk.  How 
graceful  the  act  if  some  great  city,  in  which  the 

51 


Present-Day  Egypt 

transplanted  granite  of  Assuan  is  yielding  to  the 
ravages  of  climate,  would  return  to  the  country  of 
the  Pharaohs  one  of  the  priceless  monuments  of 
which  it  has  been  deprived ! 

No  picture  of  Cairo  that  does  not  include  the 
soldier  can  be  considered  complete,  for  the  military 
aspect  of  the  city  is  in  almost  aggressive  evidence. 
When  there  is  no  campaign  calling  the  troops  to 
the  Sudan,  from  six  to  nine  thousand  men  are 
quartered  in  the  capital.  Nile  palaces,  khedival 
apartments  in  the  citadel,  and  straggling  pink  bar- 
racks at  Abbassieh,  shelter  English  regiments; 
while  tucked  in  everywhere,  even  extending  miles 
out  of  Cairo  to  the  canvas  city  on  the  desert  road 
to  Suez,  are  Egyptian  soldiers  of  all  degrees  of 
color  and  of  every  class.  And  what  a  variety  of 
costumes!  There  are  Arab  lancers  in  uniforms 
of  light  blue,  almost  esthetic  in  shade ;  members  of 
the  camel  corps  and  Sudanese  infantry  regiments 
of  the  blackest  of  black  men,  wearing  kaki  costumes 
of  the  color  of  the  desert ;  and  men  of  other  arms  of 
the  military  establishment,  in  the  smartest  of  white 
clothes. 

By  company  or  regiment,  soldiers  are  so  fre-. 
quently  marched  through  the  streets  that  the  visi- 
tor might  believe  Cairo  to  be  a  vast  military  camp. 
Martial  music  is  the  adjunct  of  every  function  and 
every  anniversary,  religious  and  festive.  Drum 
and  fife  corps,  full  military  bands,  some  of  them 
mounted,  parade  daily,  playing  frequently  the 
beautiful  khedival  hymn.  It  is  a  part  of  the 
scheme  of  administration  to  keep  the  soldier  in  evi- 

52 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

dence,  impressing  the  simple  native  with  the  im- 
portance of  the  army,  in  which  he  must  serve, 
however  reluctant.  The  obverse  of  this  display  is 
the  recompense  of  the  soldier— five  cents  a  day  for 
five  years.  Egyptian  soldiers  are  well  disciplined 
and  make  a  fine  appearance  on  parade.  Their 
comrades  recruited  from  the  region  south  of  As- 
suan,  forming  the  so-called  Sudanese  regiments, 
are  fearless  fighters,  but  lack  the  smartness  of  ap- 
pearance essential  to  reviews  and  dress-parades. 
The  superior  officers  of  the  khedival  army  are 
Enghshmen,  "  loaned "  by  the  British  War  Office, 
and  paid  by  the  Egyptian  government  twice  as 
much  as  their  services  under  the  British  flag  would 
bring.  A  captain  in  his  regiment  in  England  is  a 
colonel  in  Egypt,  and  a  lieutenant  is  a  captain  or 
major. 

It  hardly  required  the  victory  of  the  Anglo- 
Egyptian  expedition,  in  1898,  to  prove  General 
Kitchener,  sirdar  (commander-in-chief)  of  the 
Egyptian  army,  to  be  a  remarkable  man  and  a 
great  soldier.  Those  familiar  with  the  official  life 
of  recent  years  in  Egypt  knew  this.  Their  atten- 
tion was  drawn  to  him  by  the  expedition  against 
the  Mahdi,  when  the  hope  of  Gordon's  release  from 
beleaguered  Khartum  was  enlisting  the  sympathies 
of  the  world.  Disastrous  as  the  expedition  was. 
Kitchener  emerged  from  the  campaign  with  an 
established  reputation  as  a  soldier  of  infinite  re- 
source, vigor,  and  brilliant  strategy,  which,  com- 
bined with  his  knowledge  of  the  customs  and  dia- 
lects of  the  Sudan,  stamped  him  as  England's  best 

53 


Present-Day  Egypt 

desert  fighter.  In  command  of  the  mounted  troops 
at  the  battle  of  Toski,  in  1889,  young  Kitchener 
headed  off  the  great  dervish  general,  Njumi,  who 
had  annihilated  Hicks's  army,  and  who  despised 
Egyptian  soldiers,  compelling  him  to  stand,  fight, 
and  be  crushed.  Rapidly  ascending  the  grades 
thereafter,  Kitchener  in  a  few  years  found  himself 
the  sirdar  of  the  khedival  army. 

To  Kitchener  belongs  the  credit  of  organizing 
and  training  the  new  army,  recruited  from  the  fel- 
laheen of  the  country.  To  build  up  an  effective 
force  from  the  same  peasants  who  had  fled  before 
the  Mahdist  warriors,  who  stopped  in  their  flight 
to  kneel  on  the  ground  and  stretch  forth  their  necks 
to  the  sword,  was  a  task  calculated  to  dishearten  an 
ordinary  man ;  but  to  Kitchener  and  his  assistants 
this  obstacle  only  quickened  their  determination  to 
attain  success.  To  accomplish  the  end  crowning 
their  efforts  required  almost  a  reconstruction  of  the 
Egyptian  nature.  Had  Kitchener  and  his  aides  not 
triumphed  in  this,  the  Egyptian  army  could  never 
have  driven  back  its  old-time  foes  from  Firket, 
from  Dongola,  from  Berber,  and  finally  from 
Omdurman  itself.  Yet  the  heroes  of  Omdurman 
were  the  brothers  of  the  cravens  who  made  the 
name  Tel-el-Kebir  a  synonym  for  all  that  is  cow- 
ardly. And  only  sixteen  years  had  intervened  be- 
tween the  two  battles !  After  the  routing  of  the 
Khalifa's  army  no  fair-minded  person  can  criticize 
the  fighting  capacity  of  the  son  of  the  Nile,  when 
well  led.  It  used  to  be  the  fashion  to  sneer  at  him 
as  a  warrior,  and  not  without  reason.     Even  now 

54 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

he  is  not  a  perfect  soldier;  but  Spartan  virtues 
must  not  be  looked  for  from  a  nation  of  Helots. 

General  Lord  Kitchener,  sirdar  of  the  Egyptian 
army  and  governor-general  of  the  Sudan,  is  yet 
several  years  on  the  right  side  of  fifty,  is  every  inch 
a  soldier,  and  only  a  soldier,  and  has  the  prover- 
bial dash  and  courage  of  the  Irishman.  He  went 
to  Egypt  resolved  to  win  his  spurs  in  a  field  where 
others  had  failed,  and  never  for  an  instant  allowed 
his  courage  to  falter  or  his  energies  to  be  diverted 
to  other  channels.  He  has,  indeed,  added  his  name 
to  the  list  of  great  military  leaders  of  the  nineteenth 
century. 

The  British  army  of  occupation,  which  is  inde- 
pendent of  the  Egyptian  army,  is  in  Egypt  on 
financial  terms  liberal  to  the  Egyptians,  for  the 
khedival  government  pays  only  the  difference  be- 
tween the  cost  of  home  and  foreign  service,  being 
less  tlian  half  a  million  dollars  yearly  for  the  forty- 
five  hundred  men  composing  this  contingent.  Usu- 
ally about  three  thousand  Britishers  are  kept  in 
Cairo ;  but,  on  occasions  when  there  has  been  fric- 
tion between  the  khedive  and  the  British  adminis- 
trators, these  have  been  countermarched  so  inge- 
niously as  to  give  the  impression  that  ten  times  as 
many  redcoats  were  there.  The  English  officers 
lend  much  to  a  winter's  gaiety.  Courageous  fellows, 
trained  to  conquer,  no  season  is  complete  that  does 
not  add  to  their  conquests  those  of  the  ball-room, 
"  Scarlet  fever "  is  in  the  atmosphere  of  Cairo 
breathed  by  the  girl  visitor,  but  is  seldom  serious 
or  lasting. 

55 


Present-Day  Egypt 

The  diurnal  procession  of  young  women  to  the 
Nile  bank  just  before  the  going  down  of  the  sun, 
to  obtain  the  water  required  for  the  evening  and 
early  morning  in  their  homes,  presents  a  beautiful 
picture  of  womanly  grace.  These  Eebeccas  hold 
themselves  erect  and  walk  with  superlative  grace 
and  majesty.  If  a  promenading  Fifth  Avenue  girl 
could  exhibit  half  the  naturalness  she  would  be 
the  envy  of  every  spectator.  Egyptian  girls  begin 
early  to  perform  their  share  of  the  work  of  the 
home,  and  at  seven  or  eight  years  commence  to 
carry  half -filled  water-jars,  and  at  twelve  think 
nothing  of  balancing  a  full  half-hundredweight  on 
their  heads,  walking  leisurely  homeward,  chatting 
with  neighbors  bent  on  the  same  mission,  and  dis- 
cussing the  gossip  of  the  neighborhood  with  un- 
concealed relish.  For  thousands  of  years  their 
ancestors  did  the  same ;  but  they  carried  the  water- 
jars  represented  in  biblical  pictures.  The  present 
generation,  discarding  these,  prefers  the  square 
two-gallon  tins  in  which  Standard  Oil  has  come  to 
Egypt.  They  are  lighter  than  the  pottery  jars,  and 
if  the  modern  Rebecca  becomes  excited  in  discus- 
sion, the  petroleum  tin  never  breaks  in  its  fall. 

Every  petroleum  tin  coming  to  Egypt  finds  a  use 
in  the  daily  life  of  the  people.  The  "slates"  of 
school-boys  are  but  sides  of  oil  tins,  on  which  they 
write  their  sums  and  quotations  from  the  Koran 
with  reed  pens.  The  petroleum  tins  from  America 
supply  tinsmiths  of  the  bazaars  with  material  from 
which  they  fashion-lantern-frames,  household  uten- 
sils, ornaments,  and  even  bird-cages  and  traveling- 

56 


J      f 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

boxes  for  the  peasantry. '  Not  a  scrap  is  wasted. 
To  discover  that  dates  purchased  at  up-Nile  land- 
ings are  packed  in  boxes  on  the  bottoms  of  which 
are  impressed  such  legends  as  "  Best  American," 
"  Standard,"  and  "  95  Degrees  Pure,"  may  be  star- 
tling to  fastidious  tourists. 

(  The  great  school  of  the  Mohammedan  world  is 
one  of  Cairo's  important  sights ;  but  few  travelers 
are  aware  of  its  interest,  and  not  one  in  a  hundred 
visits  it.  The  Pyramids,  the  Sphinx,  and  the  Nile 
are  too  absorbing  for  tourists  to  remember  that  in 
the  same  wondrous  city  exists  the  largest  and  old- 
est university  in  the  world— El-Azhar,  meaning 
"  the  splendid."  Constantinople  may  be  regarded 
as  the  official  head  of  the  great  religion  of  Islam, 
but  Cairo  for  nine  hundred  years  has  been  the  edu- 
cational center,  and  if  one  wishes  to  attain  the 
summit  of  Mussulman  learning  he  must  attend  the 
classes  of  this  collegiate  establishment.  Unless  one 
be  familiar  with  Arabic  and  knows  where  to  look 
among  musty  books  and  manuscripts  in  the  Egyp- 
tian Library,  it  is  very  difficult  to  get  reliable  in- 
formation regarding  this  wonderful  mosque-college. 
The  claim  of  possessing  the  oldest  university  has 
often  been  made  for  Oxford,  Paris,  or  Bologna,  but 
the  founding  of  their  ancient  seats  of  learning  is 
legendary  as  to  dates,  while  the  records  of  El-Azhar 
are  clear  from  the  year  975.  Whether  it  is  really 
a  "  university "  in  our  meaning  can  be  more  ap- 
propriately questioned.  It  is  widely  different  from 
Harvard  and  Yale,  but  wise  men  of  the  East  have 
ever  termed  it  a  university. 

59 


Present-Day  Egypt 

Years  ago  it  was  difficult  and  disagreeable  to  view 
the  interior  of  this  great  school  that  draws  scholars 
from  the  remotest  lands  where  the  Koran  is  read. 
Now  the  formalities  are  simple  and  easily  complied 
with,  and  the  presence  of  strangers  is  scarcely 
noticed.  From  the  hotel  quarter  it  is  but  a  fifteen- 
minute  drive  to  El-Azhar.  One  passes  through 
that  marvelous  street  of  shops,  the  Mouski,  and 
turning  off,  forces  his  way  through  the  narrow 
lane  known  as  the  "  Street  of  the  Booksellers," 
where  Arab  workmen  are  binding  curious-looking 
volumes,  seated  cross-legged  on  the  floor  of  tiny 
box-like  shops,  and  with  a  surging  conglomeration 
of  humanity,  camels,  and  braying  donkeys  passing 
not  two  feet  away.  This  brings  one  to  the  "  Bar- 
bers' Gate,"  about  which  are  always  to  be  seen  stu- 
dents having  their  heads  so  closely  shaved  as  to 
leave  no  suggestion  of  hair. 

The  structure,  too  often  restored  to  leave  any  in- 
dication of  the  original  building,  surrounds  a  large 
open  court  with  arcades  on  every  side.  The  lofty 
minarets  are  fine  examples  of  Eastern  art.  The 
pavement  is  of  marble,  much  worn  in  places,  and 
everywhere  polished  by  constant  use.  There  are 
seven  entrances,  each  with  a  name  as  singular  as 
that  where  the  barbers  congregate.  El-Azhar  is  so 
surrounded  by  houses  that  very  little  can  be  seen 
of  it  externally,  and  the  building  is  almost  destitute 
of  architectural  embellishment. 

The  enormous  square  court  is  bordered  with  por- 
ticos, each  divided  into  various  compartments  for 
the  separate  use  of  students  of  different  nations. 

60 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

One,  for  example,  is  for  those  who  come  from 
Algeria,  another  for  those  from  Morocco,  one  for 
Indians,  one  for  Nubians,  one  for  Turks,  and  so  on.) 
There  is  a  compartment  even  for  students  from  the 
holy  city  of  Mecca,  where  the  prophet  Mohammed 
is  buried,  and  there  are  divisions  for  scholars  rep- 
resenting different  sections  of  Egypt. 

There  is  a  department  for  blind  pupils,  as  well, 
for  whom  special  instructors  and  funds  are  pro- 
vided."^ It  is  a  strange  fact  that  these  unfortunates 
are  peculiarly  turbulent  and  fanatical.  If  they  be- 
lieve their  rights  invaded,  or  their  food  not  good, 
they  give  way  to  fury  and  attack  any  one  within 
reach.  If  aware  that  an  "unbelieving  Christian" 
is  looking  at  them,  their  resentment  becomes 
offensively  apparent. 

Followers  of  the  prophet  hold  different  views  in 
regard  to  their  theology,  as  do  different  denomina- 
tions of  Christians.  There  are  four  great  ortho- 
dox sects  of  Mohammedans, — Shafeites,  Malekites, 
Hanefites,  and  Hambalites, — and  all  are  represented 
in  El-Azhar.  An  American  would  think  it  a  queer 
place  of  learning,  for  nowhere  is  there  a  desk  or  a 
chair,  and  masters  and  pupils  appear  to  go  about 
everything  backward.  Before  they  cross  the 
threshold  in  entering  the  place  they  remove  their 
shoes,  but  always  keep  their  heads  covered;  and 
all  books  read  from  right  to  left,  the  first  leaf 
being,  according  to  our  way  of  thinking,  the  last. 

There  are  more  than  ten  thousand  scholars  and 
two  hundred  and  twenty-five  masters,  and  the  pe- 
riod of  instruction  may  be  indefinitely  extended, 

6i 


Present-Day  Egypt 

even  for  a  lifetime ;  but  from  three  to  six  years  is 
the  usual  course.  One  may  see  old  and  grizzled 
men  there,  as  well  as  children  of  four  years.  '  The 
institution  is  so  richly  endowed  and  owns  such 
valuable  property— for  few  true  Mohammedans  of 
fortune  die  without  leaving  something  to  El-Azhar 
of  Cairo — that  no  scholar  is  compelled  to  pay  any- 
thing, although  many,  from  choice,  contribute  to 
the  expenses. 

The  masters  get  no  pay,  but  receive  liberal  al- 
lowances of  food.  Those  of  certain  degree  once 
a  week  draw  several  hundred  loaves  of  bread, — a 
traditional  custom, — and  these  loaves  presumably 
find  their  way  into  outside  shops  and  are  sold.  A 
master  usually  teaches  in  odd  hours  at  private 
houses,  reads  the  Koran  at  weddings  and  funerals, 
copies  books,  or  holds  a  petty  office  of  a  religious 
character  to  which  a  small  salary  is  attached. 
Wealthy  students  voluntarily  help  the  masters  to 
live.  The  head  master,  known  as  the  Sheik  El- 
Azhar,  is  chosen  from  the  faculty  for  his  superior 
knowledge  and  holiness,  and  in  the  eyes  of  the  faith- 
ful occupies  a  position  not  many  degrees  less  than 
that  of  the  khedive. 

Some  of  the  sheiks  are  men  of  marvelous  learn- 
ing, but  independence  of  thought  is  never  found 
among  them.  Progressiveness  is  discouraged  as 
a  dangerous  tendency.  Masters  and  pupils  learn 
only  what  may  be  found  in  books  centuries  old,/ 
and  religion  pervades  every  branch  of  study.  Stu- 
dents who  come  from  abroad  toil  for  years  to  learn 
the  Arabic  grammar,  after  which  they  take  up  re- 

62 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

ligious  science,  with  the  Koran  as  text-book.  Then 
follows  jurisprudence,  religious  and  secular.  Lit- 
erature, syntax,  philosophy,  prosody,  logic,  and 
intricacies  of  the  Koranic  teaching  as  directed  to 
an  ujHi^ht  life,  round  out  the  course. 

In  lieu  of  a  professor  occupying  a  "chair"  of 
any  high-sounding  "  ology,"  he  may  be  said  to  hold 
such  and  such  a  pillar,  for  when  lecturing  he  sits  on 
a  sheepskin  rug  at  the  base  of  a  stone  column,  with 
his  students  squatted  in  a  half-circle  before  him. 
Nearly  three  hundred  marble  pillars  support  the 
roof  of  the  porticos  and  such  portions  of  El-Azhar 
as  are  not  open  to  the  sky,  and  each  is  a  "  class- 
room" for  some  particular  subject.  Puj^ils  listen 
with  rapt  attention,  taking  part  in  the  discussion 
of  a  theme  so  intently  as  to  be  oblivious  of  the 
presence  of  Christian  spectators.  A  lecture  fin- 
ished, they  respectfully  kiss  the  hand  of  their  in- 
structor and  hasten  to  another  class  to  become 
absorbed  in  further  study. 

Equality  seems  to  be  characteristic  of  the  univer- 
sity. Outward  evidences  of  superiority  and  posi- 
tion are  unimportant,  for  the  son  of  the  pasha  or 
bey,  in  robes  of  silk,  sits  side  by  side  with  peasant 
youths  clothed  scantily  in  coarse  cotton.  Occa- 
sionally a  green  turban  is  seen,  indicating  that  its 
wearer  has  made  a  pilgrimage  to  the  holy  city,  or 
that  his  family  is  believed  to  be  descended  from  the 
prophet.  Rich  and  poor  alike  perform  at  stated 
intervals  the  purifying  ablutions  at  the  fountains 
within  the  inclosure,  and  all  prostrate  themselves 
in  prayer  many  times  a  day.    This  they  do  when- 

63 


Present-Day  Egypt 

ever  the  spirit  moves  them,  although  at  fixed  hours 
all  pray  in  unison,  with  heads  invariably  turned 
toward  the  "  Kibla,"  the  niche  in  the  largest  assem- 
bly-room, indicating  the  direction  of  Mecca. 

A  thousand  or  two  youths  actually  live  within 
the  walls  of  El-Azhar.  They  partake  of  their 
simple  meals  when  the  spirit  moves  them.  Their 
food  is  exceedingly  plain  and  inexpensive.  A 
bowl  of  lentil  soup,  a  flat  loaf  or  cake  of  bread, 
and  a  handful  of  garlic  or  perhaps  dates,  are  enough 
to  attract  a  group  of  school- fellows,  over  which 
they  discuss  affairs  and  joke  as  youths  do  elsewhere. 
To  needy  students  nine  hundred  loaves  of  bread 
are  distributed  each  day. 

The  great  quadrangle  presents  a  picture  to  be 
rivaled  nowhere  in  the  world.  StUgly  and  in 
groups,  students  sit  on  their  skin  rugs,  earnestly 
toiling  over  lessons.  No  matter  how  scorching  the 
sun's  rays,  if  the  impulse  seizes  them  they  stretch  at 
full  length  on  the  pavement,  enveloped  in  their 
long  outer  garments,  and  tranquilly  sleep.  Pupils 
and  professors  step  over  and  around  them,  always 
respecting  their  slumber.  Cats  without  number, 
that  seem  to  belong  to  the  place,  hobnob  with  the 
boys  upon  terms  of  perfect  harmony;  but  dogs, 
being  "  unclean "  by  Koranic  teaching,  are  never 
permitted  by  the  doorkeepers  to  enter  the  sacred 
precinct.  Sellers  of  bread  and  water  pass  freely 
among  the  studying  thousands,  always  careful  not 
to  disturb  sleepers,  and  here  and  there  students 
may  be  seen  mending  their  garments,  perhaps 
washing  and  drying  them  in  the  sun. 

64 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

Juvenile  pupils  are  taught  little  but  the  Koran. 
Day  after  day  their  masters  beat  it  into  them,  not 
infrequently  aided  by  a  palm-branch,  the  Oriental 
equivalent  of  the  birch.  The  youngsters  sway  back 
and  forth  and  sidewise  in  concert  when  reciting. 
The  sheik,  perhaps,  knows  less  about  the  printed 
page  than  the  boys,  but  to  him  the  Koran  is  so 
familiar  that  he  is  able  to  detect  the  slightest  error 
of  his  class.  On  his  part  "reading"  is  a  feat  of 
memory,  and  should  a  professor  of  higher  grade 
refer  him  to  the  book,  he  would  most  likely  claim 
to  be  suffering  from  weak  eyes,  and  request  a  stu- 
dent-teacher to  read  for  him.  The  urchins  are  as 
industrious  as  beavers.  When  far  enough  advanced 
to  write,  favorite  quotations  from  the  Koran,  such 
as,  "  There  is  no  Grod  but  Grod,  and  Mohammed  is 
his  prophet,"  and  "I  testify  that  Mohammed  is 
God's  apostle,"  are  given  them  for  exercises. 

An  Azhar  student  is  always  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  school  authority.  In  roaming  about 
the  streets  of  Cairo,  should  he  misbehave,  the  police 
could  only  detain  him  until  an  official  be  sum- 
moned from  El-Azhar  to  take  him  into  custody. 
This  system  of  proctorship  is  in  fact  the  same  as 
at  the  English  universities  of  Oxford  and  Cam- 
bridge. Because  an  Azhar  scholar  has  immunity 
from  military  service,  it  is  suspected  that  many 
young  men  are  enrolled  as  students  for  no  other 
purpose  than  to  escape  the  life  of  a  soldier— to 
most  Mohammedans  an  undesirable  calling. 

In  the  school  year  there  is  no  definite  recess ;  but 
during  the  month  of  Ramadan  and  on  the  occasion 

65 


Present-Day  Egypt 

of  the  several  religious  feasts  there  are  holidays, 
amounting  in  the  aggregate  to  the  long  summer 
vacation  so  dear  to  the  western- world  boy.  El- 
Azhar  students  are  up  with  the  sun  for  the  first 
prayer  of  the  day.  By  midday  their  work  in  the 
university  is  finished.  Apparently  Azhar  youths 
have  few  amusements  or  recreations.  Base-ball, 
foot-ball,  cane-rushes,  and  boat-racing  have  yet 
to  be  brought  to  their  consideration.  They  have, 
of  course,  their  diversions,  but  what  they  may  be 
is  a  mystery  to  the  onlooker.  A  singular  tradition 
associated  with  this  renowned  seat  of  learning  is 
that,  although  practically  without  roof,  no  bird, 
not  even  the  inquisitive  sparrow,  ever  ventures 
within.,>^ 

The  Egyptian  Museum,  still  in  its  youth  as  a 
national  institution,  contains  a  unique  collection 
of  antiquities,  ranking  with  the  world's  important 
treasures.  It  was  Mariette's  marvelous  energy  and 
persistence  that  awakened  Egyptians  to  the  pro- 
priety of  preserving  the  souvenirs  of  their  great 
ancestors.  His  efforts  first  bore  fruit  in  the  mu- 
seum at  Bulak,  and  the  promulgation  of  a  decree 
establishing  governmental  control  of  antiquities. 
Up  to  that  time  Egypt  had  been  prolific  ground 
for  European  museums,  and  for  half  a  century 
scarcely  a  vessel  sailed  from  Alexandria  that  carried 
nothing  for  the  British  Museum  or  the  Louvre. 
The  Rosetta  Stone,  even,  revealing  the  secret  of 
the  hieroglyphs  of  the  ancient  Egyptians,  that  had 
been  forgotten  for  fourteen  centuries,  was  allowed 
to  be  removed  from  the  country  where  it  unques- 

66 


,fr!,  o  1)  r-la  .*U  iTw  jri]  !■ ' (1  iL     ~^ 


fcA  --^  ^  "  '  (-^  r^^  -^iij  ,»>s  I 
-^  1,^      .  _^  ''"  "C  t^f^i  •-*-  x"  I  >» 


.f^  "?D  n,  h  ^ 


™  «^'  •^>-  r. 


•     f  '°l'i  789   "V  "  ■  3>  '  \    ^  ~^   -^    ^        " 


A 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

tionably  belonged,  to  become  an  exhibit  of  the 
British  Museum. 

The  fame  of  the  Bulak  collection  became  worid- 
wide  with  the  transfer  from  Der  el-Bahari  of  the 
mummies  of  Rameses  the  Great  and  many  of  his 
royal  predecessors  and  successors.  The  storing  of 
these  priceless  objects  in  the  trumpery  Bulak  build- 
ings, small  and  inflammable,  awakened  the  govern- 
ment to  the  need  for  better  quarters.  Then  the 
collection  was  moved  across  the  Nile  to  the  palace 
of  Gizeh.  There,  in  a  few  years,  it  grew  with  such 
rapidity,  through  the  frequent  finds  of  valuable 
sarcophagi,  statues,  papyri,  and  stelae,  that  a  popu- 
lar demand  for  a  fire-proof  structure  arose,  and  in 
1897  the  khedive  laid  with  much  ceremony  the 
corner-stone  of  a  great  building  near  Kasr  el-Nil,  in 
Cairo,  where  the  bodies  of  the  kings,  the  antiquities, 
the  wonderful  jewelry  unearthed  a  few  years  since 
at  Dashur,— equal  in  design  and  finish  to  anything 
a  Tiffany  of  to-day  can  fashion,— and  all  the  mar- 
velous articles,  will  be  deposited,  there  to  remain, 
it  is  hoped,  forever.  The  building  will  be  a  fitting 
monument  to  the  labors  of  Mariette,  Maspero,  Gre- 
baut,  the  two  Brugsches,  and  De  Morgan. 
/  There  is  no  more  interesting  ceremony  in  Cairo 
than  the  annual  cutting  of  the  Khalig,  in  the  early 
days  of  August.  'When  the  Nile  begins  to  rise,  its 
height  is  daily  chanted  through  the  streets,  until  it 
reaches^sixteen  cubits  on  the  ancient  Nilometer  at 
the  southern  end  of  the  island  of  Roda.  This  mark 
reached,  the  Khalig  el-Masri,  the  old  canal  that 
flows  through  the  heart  of  Cairo,  is  opened.     Up 

69 


Present-Day  Egypt 

to  this  time  it  is  dry,  and,  full  or  empty,  it  is  little 
more  than  a  sanitary  abomination  in  these  days; 
but  in  former  times,  when  the  Nile  was  high  enough 
to  flow  down  its  bed,  it  was  taken  by  the  people  as 
proof  that  the  yearly  flood  was  coming,  and  that 
the  kindly  fruits  of  the  earth  would  quickly  follow. 

The  head  of  the  Khalig,  on  the  road  to  Old  Cairo, 
is  closed  by  an  earthwork  embankment  weeks  be- 
fore the  function.  As  the  festival  draws  near, 
elaborate  preparations  are  made  for  its  celebration ; 
tents  with  innumerable  lamps  are  erected  on  one 
side  of  the  canal,  while  the  opposite  bank  is  lined 
with  frames  for  fireworks.  All  the  notables  of  the 
capital,  civic,  religious,  and  military,  in  gorgeous 
uniforms  and  canonicals,  attend  the  festivity.  The 
khedive,  or  a  minister  representing  him,  is  there, 
as  are  the  Sheik  ul  Islam  (the  highest  dignitary 
of  the  Mohammedan  faith),  the  Sheik  el  Bekri,  and 
the  acknowledged  descendant  of  the  prophet,  the 
Sheik  es  Sadat.  El-Azhar  is  represented  by  its 
learned  priests  and  scribes,  the  Egyptian  govern- 
ment by  cabinet  officers  and  secretaries,  and  for- 
eign powers  by  their  diplomatic  and  consular  offi- 
cials. The  sirdar  and  his  staff,  judges  from  the 
international  and  native  courts,  and  a  sprinkling 
of  functionaries  from  governmental  departments 
and  bureaus,  complete  the  picturesque  and  hetero- 
geneous gathering. 

Egyptian  regiments  are  turned  out,  salutes  are 
fired,  and  by  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  when 
the  ceremony  officially  commences,  there  may  be 
twenty  or  thirty  thousand  spectators  massed  on 

70 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

land  and  river.  An  inclosure  is  reserved  for  harem 
carriages,  packed  with  closely  veiled  women,  who 
can  see  but  little  of  the  entertainment.  Out  on  the 
Nile,  opposite  the  canal's  mouth,  is  moored  the  hulk 
of  a  vessel,  ablaze  with  lamps  and  fireworks,  which 
is  claimed  to  be  emblematic  of  the  time  when  the 
republic  of  Venice  sent  an  envoy  to  witness  the 
ceremony.  The  excitement  increases  with  every 
discharge  of  fireworks  or  arrival  of  a  grandee,  and 
the  populace  shouts  and  dances  itself  into  a  frenzy 
of  delight.  Meanwhile  scores  of  copper- skinned 
Egyptians  are  shoulder-deep  in  the  Nile,  cutting 
away  the  embankment  with  their  mattocks,  while 
bands  play  and  the  sky  is  zigzagged  with  rockets. 
The  officials  go  home  by  midnight,  but  the  common 
people  keep  up  their  merriment  until  morning.  By 
seven  o'clock  most  of  the  high  functionaries  have 
returned.  Then  the  Sheik  ul  Islam  solemnly  thanks 
the  Almighty,  Allah  the  All-powerful,  the  All- 
merciful.  He  implores  his  blessing  on  the  flood, 
and  at  a  signal  the  bank  is  cut,  the  waters  rush  in, 
and  hundreds  of  men  and  boys  plunge  into  the 
torrent  to  scramble  for  the  bright  piasters  thrown 
by  the  khedive's  representative  and  the  religious 
luminaries.  It  is  claimed  that  the  dailj^  records  of 
the  Nilometer  for  a  thousand  years  are  preserved 
in  the  archives  of  Cairo. 

The  Shubra  Palaceahd  grounds,  now  deserted  and 
decaying,  but  once  the  home  of  viceregal  splendor 
and  voluptuousness,  are  worth  all  the  trouble  re- 
quired to  secure  permission  to  visit  them.  Shubra 
was  the  favorite  residence  of  Mehemet  Ali,  from 

71 


Present-Day  Egypt 

whom  it  descended  to  Halim  Pasha,  his  son,  but  for 
many  years  has  been  the  subject  of  acrimonious 
litigation  among  members  of  the  khedival  family, 
the  magnificent  place  remaining  unoccupied  since 
Prince  Hassan's  demise.  The  umbrageous  Shubra 
avenue,  two  miles  in  length,  connecting  Cairo  and 
the  palace,  was  beloved  by  generations  of  gay 
people,  until  the  oval  Ghizereh  drive  became 
the  Eotten  Row  of  the  Egyptian  capital.  From 
that  moment  the  decline  of  the  Shubra  drive  was 
rapid,  until  in  these  days  it  attracts  very  few  Cai- 
renes.  The  palace  has  that  look  of  absenteeism  so 
suggestive  of  lawsuits,  and  the  fine  villas  lining  the 
roadway  from  Cairo  are  in  great  part  tenantless  as 
well. 

Standing  close  to  the  Nile,  with  the  Pyramids  in 
plain  view,  the  palace  seems  worthy  of  occupancy. 
Its  situation  is  not  rivaled  by  any  other  princely 
home  in  the  country,  surely;  but  it  is  probably 
permanently  dismantled.  The  gardens  are  still 
magnificent,  rich  with  tropical  plants  and  trees, 
and  very  extensive.  The  gem  of  the  place  is  the 
wonderful  kiosk,  hidden  from  sight  by  groves  of 
orange-,  sycamore-,  and  lebbek-trees.  It  is  a  curi- 
ous structure,  covering  an  acre  or  more,  and  was 
once  resplendent  with  decorations  of  the  Italian 
Renaissance  school.  These  are  now  peeling  off,  the 
silken  hangings  of  the  corner  rooms  almost  fall  into 
shreds  from  their  own  weight,  the  tortoise-shell- 
inlaid  billiard-cues  are  succumbing  to  the  warping 
hand  of  time,  and  the  fresco-portraits  of  Mehemet 
Ali  and  Ibrahim  are  almost  unrecognizable. 

72 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

This  kiosk  was  a  favorite  plaything  of  Mehemet 
Ali,  and  its  walls  have  screened  from  the  know- 
ledge of  the  world  many  orgies  of  the  Eastern  sort, 
in  which  fair  women  played  important  parts.  A 
special  pastime  of  the  great  despot,  affording  him 
the  keenest  enjoyment,  was  to  collect  together  the 
ladies  of  the  harem,  perhaps  a  hundred  at  once, 
divide  them  into  boating  parties,  and  have  them 
paddled  into  the  middle  of  the  lakelet  within  the 
kiosk.  Then,  at  his  signal,  the  eunuchs  would 
overturn  the  boats,  precipitating  the  lovely  freight, 
screaming  and  scrambling,  into  the  water,  while 
their  lord  and  master  was  convulsed  with  delight 
and  laughter.  It  amused  the  viceroy  more  than 
any  pas  of  his  odalisks. 

The  name  "Egyptian  cigarette,"  applied  to  the 
article  established  as  an  adjunct  to  fashionable  and 
club  life,  is,  strictly  speaking,  a  misnomer,  for  no 
tobacco  is  grown  in  the  country;  in  fact,  culti- 
vation of  the  plant  has  been  since  1890  forbidden 
by  khedival  decree.  "  Cigarettes  made  in  Egypt " 
would  be  the  truthful  description.  Practically  all 
the  tobacco  comes  from  Turkey,  where  it  is  shipped 
chiefly  from  Kavala,  Latakia,  and  Yenidje.  The 
paper  comes  from  Austria  and  Italy,  and  the  major 
part  of  the  labor  employed  is  Greek,  except  for 
common  cigarettes,  which  are  made  by  native  work- 
men. The  manufacture  is  very  largely  in  the 
hands  of  Greeks,  and  so  deeply  founded  is  the  belief 
that  Europe  and  America  will  buy  only  Egyptian 
cigarettes  made  by  a  Greek  firm  that  several  Cairo 
manufactories  are  carried  on  under  trade-names 

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invented  or  borrowed  in  pursuance  of  this  strange 
notion. 

The  tobacco  used  is  not  adulterated  in  any  way, 
it  is  claimed,  but  is  skilfully  blended  to  acquire  the 
desired  strength  and  flavor.  The  best  leaves  are 
used  for  export  orders,  the  common  grades  being 
consumed  in  Egypt,  where  nearly  every  man,  wo- 
man, and  child  is  a  constant  smoker  of  cigarettes. 
Custom-house  returns  show  that  of  the  tobacco  en- 
tering the  country  only  about  one  third  is  exported 
in  manufactured  form,  thus  indicating  the  enor- 
mous home  consumption,  and  giving  a  suggestion 
of  the  quantity  leaving  Egypt  in  the  baggage  of 
travelers.  Machinery  is  not  employed  in  any  way, 
except  for  cutting  the  tobacco,  and  it  is  said  that 
the  workmen  wield  sufficient  power  to  render  the 
adoption  of  machinery  for  making  cigarettes  a  step 
too  dangerous  to  be  contemplated.  The  trade  is 
centered  in  Cairo,  where  there  are  nearly  a  hundred 
export  establishments. 

The  Egyptian  cigarette  has  such  an  enviable 
position  among  the  luxuries  of  the  world  that  it  is 
difficult  to  believe  that  this  flourishing  trade  is  of 
very  recent  growth;  but  it  is,  in  fact,  one  of  the 
many  indirect  advantages  accruing  to  the  country 
from  the  impetus  imparted  by  the  invasion  of  for- 
eign enterprise. 

The  Cairo-made  cigarette  is  valued  above  all 
others  manufactured  in  Egypt.  The  same  tobacco 
may  be  used  and  as  skilful  workmen  employed  in 
other  places,  but  nowhere  else  is  the  same  delicacy 
of  flavor  achieved.     It  is  claimed  by  experts  that 

76 


In  Fascinating  Cairo 

the  cause  of  the  superiority  of  the  Cairo  cigarette 
over  that  of  Alexandria  or  Port  Said  is  the  super- 
dry  climate  of  the  capital,  which  is  better  adapted 
to  the  fabrication  of  cigarettes  than  is  the  humid 
atmosphere  of  the  sea-coast.  The  constant  flow  of 
tourists  has  been  the  chief  means  of  spreading  the 
taste  for  the  Egyptian  cigarette,  acquired  in  the 
land  of  the  Nile,  and  its  delicate  aroma  is  familiar, 
in  consequence,  not  only  in  America  and  England, 
but  in  far  corners  of  the  earth.  All  tobacco  enter- 
ing Egypt  pays  a  duty  equal  to  one  dollar  per  kilo- 
gram, and  a  drawback  equal  to  fifty  cents  a  kilo- 
gram is  allowed  on  cigarettes  sent  out  of  the 
country. 


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CHAPTER  III 

ALEXANDRIA,  SEAT   OF   EGYPTIAN    COMMERCE 

A  LEXANDRIA  is  a  city  with  a  past,  truly ;  but 
Jl\.  renowned  as  it  was  in  the  world's  early  his- 
tory for  intellectual  development  and  political  posi- 
tion, I  regard  its  present-day  aspect,  as  the  one 
great  mart  of  the  southern  coast  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean and  entrepot  of  a  nation's  commerce,  to  be 
more  important  still.  Cairo  looks  old,  but  com- 
paratively is  not ;  Alexandria  has  the  appearance 
of  newness,  but  was  twelve  hundred  years  old 
before  the  first  stone  of  Cairo  was  laid.  This  is 
paradoxical  by  suggestion. 

The  approach  to  Alexandria  from  the  sea  is  not 
prepossessing,  and  the  steamer  is  within  ten  miles 
or  so  of  the  harbor  before  any  portion  of  the  low- 
lying  coast  can  be  discerned.  The  object  first  seen 
on  the  horizon,  looking  like  a  distant  sail,  proves  to 
be  the  Phare,  the  direct  descendant  of  the  earliest 
lighthouse  in  the  world.  Pompey's  Pillar  next 
comes  into  view  on  the  left,  followed  by  the  dome 
of  Ras-el-Teen  Palace,  Napoleon's  windmills  at  Mex, 
and  the  rising  ground  beyond  Ramleh.  By  this  time 
the  coast-line  is  uplifted,  and  Alexandria  is  in  sight. . 

In  half  an  hour  the  Arab  pilot  is  on  board,  the 

78 


Alexandria,  Seat  of  Commerce 

vessel  rounds  the  great  breakwater,  and  the  trav- 
eler is  actually  in  Egypt— the  new  Egypt.  The 
motley  scene  meeting  the  eye  on  getting  ashore 
vividly  indicates  the  transition  that  is  in  progress 
from  the  half- barbarism  of  the  East  to  the  civiliza- 
tion of  the  West,  and  in  its  contrasts — its  wealth 
and  its  squalor,  its  busy  new  life  rising  like  a  tide 
over  its  old  conservatism — the  newcomer  has  a  fair 
symbol  of  the  actual  Egypt.  Modern  methods  of 
procedure  enable  you  to  pass  the  custom-house  with 
little  loss  of  time,  system  having  taken  the  place 
of  bakshish  as  an  accelerating  agent.  The  drive 
to  the  hotel,  the  Khedival  or  Abbat's,  takes  one 
first  through  narrow  native  streets  and  alleys,  then 
into  the  vast  public  square  of  Mehemet  Ali,  with 
Italianate  structures  of  imposing  size  on  every  side, 
then  through  streets  of  modern  shops,  and  your  first 
drive  in  the  city  of  Alexander  and  Cleopatra  is  at 
an  end.  The  sapphire  sky,  balmy  atmosphere,  and 
palm-trees  overtopping  the  houses,  tell  you  that 
you  are  in  Egypt ;  but  the  buildings,  the  shops  and 
their  wares,  suggest  a  city  in  Italy  or  southern 
France— perhaps  Naples,  possibly  Marseilles. 

The  people  in  the  streets  and  their  chatter  affirm 
that  you  are  over  the  threshold  of  the  Orient,  how- 
ever. There  are  Arabs,  Turks,  Syrians,  Copts, 
Nubians,  Greeks,  Jews,  Armenians,  Albanians, 
Levantines,  Italians,  Maltese,  French,  many  Eng- 
lish, some  Austrians— in  fact,  a  variety  of  human- 
ity, from  which  a  perfect  congress  of  nations  might 
be  drafted.  The  appearance  of  the  people  removes 
any  doubt  of  the  whereabouts  of  the  traveler,  for  it 

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Present-Day  Egypt 

is  only  in  Alexandria  that  this  endless  variety  may 
be  found.  Cairo,  like  Washington,  is  official  and 
administrative  in  all  its  attributes — everything, 
perhaps,  but  commercial ;  Alexandria,  on  the  other 
hand,  is  as  exclusively  commercial  as  Liverpool. 

In  the  selection  of  the  site  to  which  the  great 
Macedonian  was  to  give  his  name,  Alexander 
proved  himself  to  possess  the  unerring  instinct  of 
engineering  genius.  A  less  able  man  might  have 
chosen  the  natural  harbor  of  one  of  the  Nile's 
mouths.  But  Alexander  evidently  was  aware  of 
the  current  sweeping  the  whole  northern  shore  of 
Africa  from  west  to  east,  and  his  foresight  told  him 
that  a  harbor  to  serve  as  a  port  for  his  projected 
Eastern  dominions  must  be  west  of  the  several 
mouths  of  the  great  river,  to  be  safe  from  the 
accumulation  of  the  alluvial  soil  ever  sweeping  into 
the  Mediterranean.  It  was  this  soil-laden  wash 
that  choked  the  old  Pelusiac  harbor  beyond  Port 
Said,  and  that  to-day,  in  spite  of  bars  and  break- 
waters, makes  the  task  of  keeping  the  entrance  to 
the  Suez  Canal  open  for  ships  of  deep  draft  a  diffi- 
cult one.  Hence  the  wisdom  of  Alexander  the 
Great,  and  the  foundation  of  Alexandria  in  the 
year  332  b.  c. 

The  diminutive  island  of  Pharos  must  have  been 
employed  as  a  shelter  for  shipping  in  Alexander's 
reign,  and  the  first  of  his  lieutenants  to  wear  the 
crown  of  Egypt,  Ptolemy  Soter,  constructed  thereon 
the  Pharos  tower,  famed  in  history  as  the  father  of 
lighthouses.  It  is  recorded  that  this  tower  was 
nearly  six  hundred  feet  high,  and  that  on  its  top 

80 


Alexandria,  Seat  of  Commerce 

beacon-fires  were  burned  by  night  as  a  guide  and 
warning  to  mariners.  This  pile  of  masonry,  of 
greater  proportions  than  the  Washington  Monu- 
ment, reared  when  the  world  was  young,  naturally 
was  included  in  the  list  of  wonderful  structures; 
it  was  termed  the  seventh  wonder  of  the  earth. 
Ptolemy  Soter  likewise  connected  Pharos  with  the 
city  by  the  Heptastadium  causeway,  bringing  the 
island  within  easier  reach,  and  dividing  the  inter- 
vening space  into  two  harbors.  The  action  of  sea- 
currents  for  centuries  has  supplemented  building 
operations  from  time  to  time,  and  the  causeway  has 
so  long  been  a  feature  of  the  city  that  few  dwellers  in 
modern  Alexandria  are  aware  of  its  artificial  origin. 
Ptolemy  Soter  was  also  responsible  for  making 
Alexandria  a  seat  of  learning,  and  for  the  creation 
of  the  world-famous  library  and  museum.  He 
brought  there  many  of  the  wise  men  of  Europe, 
and  through  his  efforts  Alexandria  for  years 
occupied  the  leading  place  in  literature,  philosophy, 
and  science.  His  son  and  successor,  Ptolemy  Phil- 
adelphus,  continued  the  wise  policy,  and  Ptolemy 
Euergetes  made  his  reign  famous  for  the  encour- 
agement given  to  learning.  This  king  brought  to 
Alexandria,  among  other  great  personages,  Aris- 
tophanes of  Byzantium,  who  became  keeper  of  the 
library.  When  the  Romans  laid  siege  to  the  city 
in  Csesar's  time,  both  library  and  museum  were 
ruthlessly  burned.  As  a  foundation  for  a  second 
library,  Antony  presented  Cleopatra  with  the  Per- 
gamenian  manuscripts,  two  hundred  thousand  in 
number.    The  collection  grew  rapidly.    Copies  of 

83 


Present-Day  Egypt 

works  of  importance  were  made  at  public  expense, 
and  it  is  stated  that  every  book  that  came  into  the 
city  was  seized  and  kept,  a  copy  only  being  handed 
to  the  owner.  Scholars  from  many  lands  made 
Alexandria  their  abiding-place,  to  enjoy  the  bene- 
fits of  the  priceless  books  and  parchments.  Strabo 
and  Euclid  studied  there.  When  the  fanatical  calif 
Omar  overran  Egypt,  in  the  seventh  century,  he 
proclaimed  that,  as  the  Koran  contained  everything 
that  man  should  know,  other  books  had  no  right  to 
exist.  Consequently  he  decreed  that  the  second 
great  library  to  bring  renown  to  Alexandria  should 
forthwith  be  destroyed.  It  is  recorded  that  seven 
hundred  thousand  manuscripts  and  volumes  in  all 
languages  were  apportioned  to  the  city's  four  thou- 
sand public  bathing  establishments,  with  which  the 
fires  of  these  were  fed  for  six  months.  This  was, 
indeed,  the  most  crushing  blow  ever  inflicted  on 
literature. 

Ruled  now  by  Persian,  now  by  Roman,  now  by 
Grreek,  and  enervated  by  vice  and  luxury,  and  with 
the  loss  of  population  and  prestige  that  preceded 
the  stagnation  and  decay  spreading  over  the  cen- 
turies from  Cleopatra  to  Mehemet  Ali,  Alexandria's 
varying  welfare  could  not  be  detailed  within  the 
limits  of  a  sketchy  chapter.  The  death-blow  to  its 
fortunes  was  the  discovery,  in  1497,  of  the  passage 
round  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  which  changed  the 
direction  of  the  commerce  of  the  East. 

The  Alexandria  that  visitors  see  dates  only  from 
the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century,  with  the 
advent  of  Mehemet  Ali.    Taking  the  leaderless 

84 


Alexandria,  Seat  of  Commerce 

soldiers  of  the  shattered  Turkish  supremacy  in 
Egypt,  who  had  retired  with  sulky  scorn  from 
Alexandria  to  a  quarter  of  their  own,  on  what  once 
was  the  island  of  Pharos,  Mehemet  Ali  united  them 
with  his  Albanian  troops,  and  found  he  had  then 
the  unbreakable  backbone  of  an  army  of  fighters, 
few  in  number,  it  is  true,  but  sufficiently  powerful 
with  his  cunning  to  overthrow  the  Mamelukes  rul- 
ing at  Cairo.  The  fearless  Rumelian  then  organized 
the  Egyptian  people,— Arabs  and  Nilots, — and  by 
sheer  genius  welded  into  something  approaching  a 
nationality  these  discordant  elements.  The  renais- 
sance of  Egypt  and  the  revival  of  Alexandria's 
fortunes  date,  consequently,  from  the  coming  of 
Mehemet  Ali.  He  loved  the  city  and  made  it  his 
capital. 

His  master  mind  recognizing  the  need  of  con- 
necting the  seaport  with  the  Nile,  this  autocrat 
traced  a  line  fifty  miles  long  on  a  map,  and  two 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  fellaheen,  working 
without  pay  or  food  from  their  dictator,  in  a  year 
scooped  out  of  the  sand  with  their  hands  the  trench 
known  as  the  Mahmudiyeh  Canal.  Thirty  thou- 
sand of  the  peasants  died  before  the  canal  was 
completed,  but  it  brought  fresh  water  and  a  nation's 
commerce  to  Alexandria. 

As  viceroy,  Mehemet  Ali  sought  to  make  Alex- 
andria great  in  trade.  To  this  end,  before  provid- 
ing palaces,  he  improved  the  harbor  and  erected 
warehouses,  docks,  a  dry-dock,  and  an  arsenal.  To 
accomplish  these  things,  and  to  develop  irrigation 
in  the  Delta,  he  had  the  assistance  of  Linant  Pasha 

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Present-Day  Egypt 

and  other  brilliant  engineers,  recruited  in  France. 
Although  some  of  Mehemet  Ali's  successors  have 
been  woefully  inert,  all,  with  the  exception  of  the 
first  Abbas,  have  done  something  toward  upbuild- 
ing Alexandria.  The  population  has  developed 
until,  in  the  present  year,  it  is  computed  to  be 
three  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand.  Ismail 
had  a  superstitious  fear  that  he  was  destined  to  die 
in  Alexandria,  and  consequently  passed  little  time 
there.  The  most  conspicuous  modern  Egyptian 
buried  in  this  commercial  capital,  where  Archi- 
medes conceived  his  most  useful  inventions,  and 
where  St.  Mark  preached  the  gospel,  is  Viceroy 
Said. 

To-day  Alexandria  has  broad  avenues,  theaters, 
clubs,  and  many  other  features,  good  and  bad,  of 
a  flourishing  city  in  Europe,  and  better- paved 
streets  than  most  European  towns.  Ten  or  fifteen 
years  since,  the  condition  of  the  streets  left  so  much 
to  be  desired  that  the  leading  export  merchants 
took  the  matter  in  hand,  and  agreed  to  pay  to  the 
municipality  a  small  fee  on  each  bale  of  cotton  and 
sack  of  grain  or  sugar  shipped  by  them.  The 
aggregate  in  a  few  years  was  sufficient  to  give 
every  important  thoroughfare  a  paving  of  stone 
blocks,  and  from  the  handsome  residue  a  fire-boat 
and  other  needed  adjuncts  were  donated  to  the 
city.  All  this  was  accomplished  without  taxing 
the  people. 

In  these  times  the  harbor  exhibits  almost  as 
great  a  variety  of  foreign  flags  as  the  crowd  on 
the   quays   represents   nationalities,     More    than 

86 


Alexandria,  Seat  of  Commerce 

twenty  regular  lines  of  steamers  ply  to  and  from 
Alexandria ;  visiting  men-of-war  and  yachts  lie  for 
weeks  at  a  time  in  the  harbor,  and  the  life  and 
movement  are  those  of  a  great  international  sea- 
port. - 
/'^^TKe  harbor  is  protected  by  a  sea-wall  nearly 
two  miles  in  length,  constructed  of  more  than 
twenty-six  thousand  square  blocks  of  concrete, 
each  weighing  twenty- two  tons,  and  is  perfectly 
lighted.  The  well-protected  haven,  of  a  depth  of 
twenty  to  sixty  feet,  and  an  area  of  eighteen  hun- 
dred acres,  thus  formed,  is  supplemented  by  an 
inner  port  of  perhaps  one  fourth  the  size.  The 
harbor  dues  are  considerable,  but  these,  combined 
with  the  income  of  the  country's  railways  and 
telegraphs,  were  pledged  to  European  creditors 
demanding  security  when  the  national  treasury 
had  been  depleted  by  Ismail's  wild  extravagance. 
Could  the  bronze  statue  of  the  founder  of  the 
dynasty,  appareled  in  the  Turkish  costume  of  his 
time,  and  astride  a  horse  of  superb  proportions, 
in  the  Place  Mehemet  Ali,  be  endowed  with  life, 
the  Great  Initiator  might  see  endless  processions 
of  cotton-laden  vehicles  moving  toward  the  docks. 
If  such  a  return  to  life  were  possible,  his  mind 
might  revert  to  the  time  when  a  friendly  botanist 
found  growing  wild  in  a  Cairene  garden  a  few 
plants  whose  blossoms  developed  into  fiber-filled 
bolls,  which,  the  savant  advised  the  viceroy,  might 
be  cultivated  in  Egypt  on  a  large  scale  with  great 
profit.  This  was  the  origin  of  cotton-culture  there, 
representing  in  shipments  from  Alexandria  now 

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Present-Day  Egypt 

nearly  a  million  bales  in  a  season,  and  from  this  in- 
cident sprang  the  nation's  principal  industry.  When 
civil  war  raged  in  the  United  States,  and  English 
mills  were  compelled  to  find  fiber  elsewhere  for  their 
looms,  Egyptian  cotton  sold  at  a  dollar  a  pound. 
In  two  years  Alexandria  waxed  rich  in  conse- 
quence, and  its  wealth  found  expression  in  streets 
of  Italianate  business  buildings  and  residences. 
Those  that  were  smashed  to  atoms  by  the  British 
bombardment  in  1882  were  replaced  by  larger  and 
handsomer  structures,  still  in  the  Italian  style  of 
architecture. 

One  feature  of  the  massacre  of  Europeans  on 
that  memorable  July  11,  1882,  and  of  the  subse- 
quent sacking  of  the  city,  was  peculiarly  signifi- 
cant. The  grand  square  of  Mehemet  Ali  was 
wrecked  from  end  to  end,  and  its  sidewalks  ran 
with  blood.  But  one  thing  was  respected  by  the 
brutal  mob,  sparing  no  one,  nothing,  save  this. 
Imperious  Mehemet  Ali  sat  there  throughout  all 
the  strife  on  his  Arab  horse.  The  crowd  suffered 
no  one  to  molest  it.  Had  it  been  an  efiigy  of 
Ismail  instead,  it  would  have  been  destroyed  by 
the  fanatical,  degraded  ruffians  at  the  outset  of 
their  orgy  of  blood. 

Apart  from  the  splendid  monolith  miscalled 
Pompey's  Pillar,  and  the  catacombs,  dating  from 
the  time  of  Constantine,  of  which  there  are  remains 
of  rare  architectural  symmetry,  nothing  exists  in 
Alexandria  to  reward  the  search  of  the  traveler 
with  a  fondness  for  antiquities.  The  pillar,  erected 
in  honor  of  Diocletian,  and  having  nothing  to  do 

90 


Alexandria,  Seat  of  Commerce 

with  Pompey,  is  of  the  familiar  red  granite  of 
Assuan.  Some  investigators  beheve  that  this 
Corinthian  column  was  once  an  obelisk,  and  that 
it  was  rounded  to  its  present  form  by  the  Romans, 
and,  further,  that  its  situation  marks  the  site  of 
the  famous  Serapeum.  It  is  known  to  have  been 
erected  in  the  third  century  after  Christ,  to  com- 
memorate the  capture  of  the  city  by  the  Emperor 
Diocletian,  after  the  rebellion  of  Achilleus.  The 
statue  which  must  have  adorned  its  summit  long 
since  disappeared,  leaving  no  trace  to  tell  us  whom 
it  represented.  The  column's  shadow  falls  to-day 
upon  a  dreary  Arab  cemetery— pathetic  symbol  of 
the  buried  glories  of  the  metropolis  it  once  graced. 

The  two  obelisks  which  Cleopatra  or  Caesar 
removed  from  the  Temple  of  the  Sun  at  Heliop- 
olis  to  adorn  the  Cassarium  were  lost  to  Alex- 
andria in  Ismail's  time.  One,  after  lying  prone  for 
centuries  where  it  fell,  is  in  London ;  the  other  in 
New  York.___ 

Tothe  south  of  Alexandria  lies  the  extensive 
but  shallow  sheet  of  water  known  as  Lake  Mare- 
otis.  It  covers  what  was  once  a  fertile  plain,  pos- 
sessing a  lake  upon  which  Alexandria  depended 
for  fresh  water.  In  1801,  when  a  British  force  was 
conducting  an  operation  before  the  city,  then  in  the 
hands  of  Bonaparte's  troops,  it  was  deemed  a  good 
strategic  expedient  to  cut  off  Alexandria's  supply 
of  fresh  water.  To  accomplish  this  the  English 
severed  at  Mex  the  neck  of  land  separating  the  lake 
from  the  Mediterranean,  thereby  admitting  the  sea 
and  flooding  a  hundred  thousand  acres  of  culti- 
^  91 


Present-Day  Egypt 

vable  soil,  sacrificing  many  lives,  and  ruining  forty 
villages — and  the  climate  of  Alexandria.  It  was  a 
wicked  act,  hardly  justified  by  the  needs  of  war- 
fare. It  is  a  curious  example  of  the  irony  of  fate 
that  monster  English  pumps  and  a  staff  of  English 
engineers — paid  for  by  the  Egyptian  government 
—are  given  constant  employment  to-day  in  keep- 
ing the  salt  water  of  Lake  Mareotis  within  bounds, 
for  no  engineering  resource  can  now  prevent  the 
percolation  of  the  sea  to  the  lower  level  of  Mareotis. 
Engineering  skill  can  only  keep  the  water  from 
overflowing  still  more  valuable  territory.  A  mil- 
lion and  a  half  tons  of  water  are  pumped  back  into 
the  Mediterranean  every  twenty-four  hours.  ^  - 

Ramleh  is  the  only  residential  suburb  of  Alex- 
andria. It  is  easier  to  make  the  assertion  than  to 
describe  the  limits  of  the  place.  It  has  many  titular 
subdivisions,  but  generically  Ramleh  may  be  said 
to  stretch  along  the  entire  sea-front  from  Alex- 
andria to  Abukir  Bay,  a  dozen  miles  away. 
"Ramleh"  is  the  native  word  for  sand,  and  in 
this  instance  is  applied  with  signal  appropriate- 
ness. In  summer  all  that  portion  of  Cairo's  official- 
dom unable  to  manage  European  leave  of  absence 
betakes  itself  en  masse  to  the  hotels  and  villas  of  the 
Alexandrian  suburb,  there  to  keep  cool  and  inci- 
dentally assail  the  humid  atmosphere  by  invidious 
comparison.  Hundreds  of  Alexandria's  business 
men  reside  throughout  the  year  at  Ramleh.  Judges 
of  the  international  courts,  consuls,'  functionaries 
of  every  degree,  bourse  operators,  and  Jewish  and 
Greek  money  magnates,  find  there  peaceful  repose. 

92 


I 


NATIVK   Wu.MA.N"   ANJJ    tlliLD. 


Alexandria,  Seat  of  Commerce 

A  primitive  line  of  railway,  owned  by  Englishmen 
and  very  profitable,  sets  down  passengers  at  several 
stations.  Mustapha  Pasha  station  accommodates 
the  British  soldiers  housed  in  the  old  khedival 
palace,  and  St.  Stephano  station  is  the  objective 
point  of  the  liaut  ton  going  to  spend  an  evening  at 
the  casino,  or  have  a  cooling  swim  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean. When  Alexandrians  desire  to  celebrate, 
singly  or  collectively,  they  go  to  the  Ramleh  casino, 
and  do  it  well.  Pashas  and  others  having  no  need 
for  observing  regularity  of  hours  in  town  drive 
back  and  forth  on  the  splendid  road  patronized  by 
his  Highness  the  Khedive  when  he  passes  to  and 
fro  between  Montazah  and  Ras-el-Teen  Palace. 

Besides  being  very  convenient,  this  Egyptian 
Long  Branch  is  exceedingly  pleasant  at  all  times. 
The  blue  sea,  stretching  to  the  horizon,  is  ever 
soothing  to  exhausted  nerves,  and  in  summer  bears 
a  refreshing  inshore  breeze  with  commendable  regu- 
larity. In  the  mad  race  to  get  away  from  Egypt  in 
the  early  summer,  hundreds  of  people  go  farther 
and  fare  worse  than  if  contenting  themselves  with 
the  easily  attainable  comforts  of  Eamleh. 

Abukir  possesses  resources  of  interest  amply 
rewarding  a  visit  to  this  place  where  history  has 
been  made,  not  to  inspect  the  insignificant  village, 
but  to  view  the  bay  where  one  of  the  greatest 
of  naval  engagements  was  contested.  The  semicir- 
cular bay  is  surrounded  by  obsolete  forts  and  earth- 
works, many  of  whose  guns  are  dismantled,  and  all 
of  a  type  long  ago  discarded.  A  pleasant  half-day 
may  be  passed  about  these  forts,  with  lunch-basket 

95 


Present-Day  Egypt 

at  hand,  viewing  the  scene  of  the  battle  of  the  Nile, 
and  picturing  in  the  mind's  eye  Lord  Nelson's  bril- 
liant manoeuvers,  by  which  thirteen  doughty  French 
ships  of  the  line  were  destroyed. 

There  is  a  distinct  admixture  of  Greek  blood  in 
the  people  of  Alexandria,  observable  in  many  coun- 
tenances, and  the  Greek  colony  is  the  largest  of 
foreign  origin  dwelling  in  the  great  seaport.  A 
considerable  share  of  its  financial  and  commercial 
business  is  conducted  by  Greeks,  and  innumerable 
names  seen  over  shop  doors  recall  the  nomencla- 
ture of  the  classics  familiar  to  every  student.  Some 
of  the  palatial  homes  of  the  city  and  its  suburbs  are 
those  of  Greek  bankers  and  merchants,  and  there 
is  an  intimate  intercourse  between  Alexandria  and 
Athens.  Love  of  the  home  country  is  a  character- 
istic of  these  transplanted  people,  whose  patriotism 
finds  frequent  expression  in  gifts  to  Athenian  in- 
stitutions and  causes.  It  is  a  boast  of  many  Greeks 
in  Alexandria  that  their  ancestors  have  dwelt  in 
Egypt  since  the  days  of  Cleopatra ;  that  their  coun- 
trymen were  there  before  the  advent  of  the  Arabs, 
and  have  been  there  uninterruptedly  longer  than 
the  people  of  any  other  nation. 

One  can  scarcely  walk  the  historic  streets  of 
Alexandria  without  his  thoughts  dwelling  at  times 
upon  the  splendid  woman  wlio  once  ruled  Egypt 
from  that  place,  whose  beauty  enslaved  all  that  be- 
held it,  and  caused  the  bravest  generals  to  forsake 
the  conquering  missions  that  brought  them  from 
Rome,  and  let  themselves  be  conquered  by  the 
irresistible  charm  of  Cleopatra.    Mere  presence  in 

96 


Alexandria,  Seat  of  Commerce 

the  city  once  her  capital  marshals  in  memory  all 
that  one  has  read  or  seen  depicted  on  stage  or  can- 
vas of  the  fascinating  queen,  and  more  than  one 
visitor  aimlessly  strolls  the  streets  pondering  the 
problem  of  her  nationality,  and  asking  himself 
whether  the  tale  of  her  death  from  the  bite  of  an 
asp  had  its  origin,  like  the  William  Tell  narrative, 
in  a  popular  work  of  an  early  romancist.  The 
name  haunts  one  everywhere.  Even  pleasure- 
boats  in  the  harbor  and  cafes  in  important  thor- 
oughfares record  the  name  of  Egypt's  last  queen, 
and  cigarettes  served  with  after-dinner  coffee  are 
called  in  her  honor  as  well. 

Tarrying  travelers  discuss  Cleopatra  with  each 
other,  and  with  those  whom  they  meet,  as  if  she  had 
been  of  a  recent  century.  Guide-books  assure  them 
that  she  was  but  thirty-nine  when  she  died  by  her 
own  hand,  that  the  tragedy  preceded  the  Christian 
era  by  only  thirty  years,  and  that  Alexandria  was 
alike  the  city  of  her  nativity  and  her  entombment. 

There  are  Alexandrians  sufficiently  cultured  to 
entitle  their  opinions  to  credence  on  most  subjects, 
who  insist  that  Cleopatra  was  a  beauty  of  dusky 
face;  some  go  so  far  as  to  insist  that  she  was 
undeniably  a  Nubian,  and  point  to  the  bas-reliefs 
of  the  temple  of  Hathor,  at  Denderah,  in  substan- 
tiation of  their  opinion.  But  no  cultured  Greek 
will  enter  the  lists  in  a  debate  jeopardizing  for  an 
instant  the  nationality  of  the  great  goddess  of 
beauty,  for  he  knows  with  as  much  certainty  as  he 
does  the  name  of  the  present  King  of  Greece  that 
Cleopatra  was  the  purest  of  pure  Greek,  a  Ptolemy, 

97 


Present-Day  Egypt 

and  that  lier  complexion  was  as  fair  as  that  of  any- 
Athenian  belle  to-day.  The  erudite  Greek  gets  out 
his  Plutarch— the  best-known  historian  coeval  with 
Cleopatra,  and  who  must  have  seen  her  or  talked 
with  those  knowing  her— and  points  to  chapters 
leaving  as  little  doubt  of  the  purity  of  her  Greek 
blood  as  of  her  charm  of  person  and  conversation. 

The  Denderah  sculptures  when  analyzed,  the 
erudite  champion  maintains  with  every  show  of 
reason,  portray  a  face  whose  outline  and  charac- 
teristics are  unmistakably  Greek.  Were  the  temj^le 
of  Denderah  not  situated  near  the  Nubian  frontier, 
no  logical  examiner  could  ever  have  found  a  sug- 
gestion in  the  portraits  that  the  queen  was  negroid. 
The  shape  of  the  nose  proves  to  the  contrary,  and 
the  bust  of  Cleopatra  in  the  Cajntol  at  Rome  sup- 
ports the  assertion.  Furthermore,  the  Egyptian 
sculptors  did  not  attempt  to  idealize.  They  sculp- 
tured with  honest  fidelity  the  faces  they  saw.  In 
these  up-Nile  portraits  the  consummate  mistress 
of  the  art  of  fascination  wears  a  winning  smile,  but 
the  figure  of  the  queen  is  distorted. 

Painters,  poets,  novelists,  wi'iters  of  dramas, 
and  actresses  seem  ever  to  have  had  in  mind  the 
idea  that  Cleopatra  was  a  half-caste,  in  whom  the 
charms  of  Europe  and  Africa  were  combined,  a  wo- 
man who  ruled  the  world  with  the  intellect  of  a 
thinker  directing  the  arts  of  an  odalisk.  It  requires 
little  investigation,  on  the  contrary,  to  learn  that 
the  great  queen  was,  as  her  name  suggests,  a  Greek 
of  the  Greeks,  of  pure  and  illustrious  descent,  and 
not  an  African.    Gerome,  Picou,  Alma-Tadema, 

98 


CLEOPATRA  (FROM  THE  TEMPLE  OP  DENDERAH) 


Alexandria,  Seat  of  Commerce 

Cabanel,  Sichel,  G-rolleau,  and  other  artists  have 
exercised  as  much  license  in  portraying  the  beau- 
tiful woman  as  Shakspere  and  less  renowned  poets 
have  in  describing  her. 

The  means  employed  by  the  baffled  queen — too 
proud  to  return  to  Rome  after  Antony's  self- 
destruction,  to  be  exhibited  in  the  festival  cele- 
brating the  triumph  of  Octavianus— to  produce 
death  unfortunately  cannot  be  as  directly  dealt  with 
as  the  question  of  her  descent.  In  Alexandrian 
suburbs  to-day  are  groves  of  fig-trees,  whose  fruit, 
arranged  in  flat  baskets  and  covered  with  fig-leaves, 
is  sold  by  the  roadside  by  native  lads,  as  it  might 
have  been  in  the  time  of  Cleopatra.  An  occasional 
lizard,  basking  in  the  warm  sunshine  on  the  sand, 
which  scurries  away  when  footsteps  approach,  may 
have  suggested  the  asp  story  to  a  writer  of  long 
ago,  constructing  a  romantic  epic  or  play.  The 
theory  of  the  poisonous  reptile  conveyed  to  the 
unhappy  queen  in  a  basket  of  figs  is  improbable.. 
Cleopatra  was  too  experienced  in  Eastern  ways  not 
to  have  understood  the  secret  of  poisons  and  have 
them  at  hand.  The  brother-husband,  sharing  with 
her  the  throne,  had  died  from  poison  years  before, 
under  circumstances  that  indicated  his  murderess ; 
and,  besides,  a  woman  of  her  vanity  would  choose 
death  from  one  of  the  destroying  drugs  known  to 
her,  rather  than  from  the  poison  of  the  asp,  dis- 
figuring in  its  agency  of  destruction. 

Many  thousands  of  Mohammedans  of  the  lower 
social  grades  in  Alexandria,  and  for  that  matter 
throughout  Lower  Egypt,  are  slaves  to  the  hashish 

loi 


Present-Day  Egypt 

habit.  There  is  a  law  rigidly  forbidding  the  impor- 
tation of  this  noxious  product  of  Indian  hemp,  and 
the  government  employs  every  means  for  keeping 
it  out  of  Egypt.  Hundreds  of  miles  of  littoral  to 
the  west  and  east  of  Alexandria,  that,  were  it  not 
for  hashish  smuggling,  would  seldom  be  watched, 
are  systematically  patrolled  by  coast-guardsmen, 
and  every  foot  of  the  Suez  Canal  is  similarly  under 
surveillance ;  while  port  authorities  at  Alexandria, 
Eosetta,  Damietta,  and  Port  Said  expend  more 
energy  in  endeavoring  to  prevent  the  secret  land- 
ing of  hashish  than  all  other  articles  declared  by 
Egyptian  law  to  be  contraband. 

Notwithstanding  these  precautions,  the  cunning 
of  the  smugglers  enables  them  to  run  the  forbidden 
article  across  from  islands  of  the  Grecian  Archi- 
pelago, and  land  it  in  Egypt  with  a  certainty  per- 
mitting the  demand  for  the  compound  to  be 
regularly  supplied.  It  is  manufactured  in  many 
out-of-the-way  places  in  the  eastern  Mediterranean, 
and  its  excessive  value,  once  within  reach  of  its 
devotees  in  Egypt,  is  enough  to  compensate  those 
concerned  in  the  trade  for  the  occasional  confisca- 
tion of  a  shipment.  Many  of  the  devices  practised 
for  getting  it  into  the  country  are  ingenious  in  the 
extreme.  A  visit  to  the  little  museum  connected 
with  the  Alexandrian  custom-house  proves  this. 
One  may  there  see  innocent-looking  trunks  and 
bulging  piano-legs,  the  one  with  false  bottoms  and 
the  other  with  capacious  cavities,  that  were  filled 
with  hashish  when  investigated  by  the  custom- 
house examiners.    These  are  perhaps  the  simplest 

102 


Alexandria,  Seat  of  Commerce 

tricks  resorted  to  by  shippers  of  the  illicit  article. 
Many  others  more  difficult  to  detect  are  to  be  seen 
in  the  curious  collection. 

By  means  of  confederates  on  the  lookout,  many 
a  rubber  bag  and  water-tight  box  of  hashish  finds 
its  way  ashore,  on  the  Mediterranean  beach  or  in 
the  Suez  Canal,  nearly  every  night.  The  authorities 
cannot  cope  with  the  cunning  of  the  aliens  waxing 
fat  from  the  Egyptian  slaves  to  hashish.  I  have 
been  assured  that  in  both  Alexandria  and  Cairo  the 
cafes  and  other  establishments  where  a  smoke  of 
hashish  may  be  had  number  hundreds.  The  Koran 
strictly  forbidding  the  use  of  liquors  and  wines,  the 
mind  of  lower-class  Mohammedans  has  seized  the 
intoxicating  hemp  compound  as  an  alternative.  It 
is  more  debasing  and  injurious  than  strong  drink, 
physicians  claim,  and  often  leads  to  insanity  or 
idiocy.  Alexandria,  with  its  native  population 
living  in  intimate  relations  with  the  offscourings 
of  every  Mediterranean  land,  has  for  generations 
been  the  headquarters  of  the  use  of  hashish. 


103 


CHAPTER  IV 

PAKADOXICAL   BUT   EFFECTIVE   ADMINISTRATION 

AMONG  the  nations  of  the  earth  Egypt  stands 
■^^  unique  in  history,  and  in  unusual  and  para- 
doxical conditions.  Mysterious  and  fascinating  as 
it  was  to  Strabo  and  Herodotus,  so  it  is  to  the 
observer  to-day,  and  especially  to  the  winter  visitor 
who  endeavors  in  a  brief  season  to  fathom  its 
wealth  of  archsBological  wonders  and  its  scheme 
of  political  administration.  This  last  is  nearly  as 
difficult  to  understand  as  are  the  hieroglyphs  of  the 
monuments,  for  it  has  no  equivalent  in  ancient  or 
modern  times. 

Nominally  a  province  of  the  Ottoman  empire, 
Egypt  is  autonomous,  subject  only  to  a  yearly 
tribute  to  the  Sultan  of  about  three  million  five 
hundred  thousand  dollars.  The  title  of  its  ruler 
means  sovereign,  or  king,  without  qualification  or 
limitation;  yet  the  country  is  in  large  measure 
administered  by  Great  Britain,  standing  in  the 
capacity  of  trustee  for  creditors  of  her  own  and  of 
several  other  nationalities  as  well.  This  trustee- 
ship is  voluntary  on  England's  part,  and  is  forced 
upon  the  khedival  government. 

The  situation  might  not  inaptly  be  compared 
J  04 


Paradoxical  Administration 

to  one  by  which  a  farm  is  worked  on  shares  by 
an  important  creditor,  with  both  mortgagor  and 
mortgagee  reaping  substantial  benefit  by  the  ar- 
rangement, and  the  farm  yearly  made  more  valu- 
able. This  simile  describes  but  one  of  the  conditions 
contributing  to  the  involved  Egyptian  situation. 
Another  partnership  is  represented  by  the  Interna- 
tional Debt  Commission,  in  which  Egypt  has  six 
partners— France,  Germany,  Russia,  Austria,  and 
Italy,  as  well  as  Great  Britain.  Each  of  these 
countries  has  a  delegate  at  Cairo  to  watch  the 
cash-box  and  collect  from  time  to  time  a  share  of 
the  country's  receipts,  in  excess  of  actual  running 
expenses,  proportionate  to  the  amount  of  Egyptian 
bonds  held  by  his  countrypeople.  In  this  partner- 
ship Egypt  would  be  described  in  legal  phraseology 
as  the  "  party  of  the  first  part,"  the  six  foreign  com- 
missioners combining  in  the  "  party  of  the  second 
part." 

Then  comes  a  third  copartnership,  the  Interna- 
tional Courts,  in  which  Egypt  figures  but  triflingly. 
Thirteen  European  powers  and  the  United  States 
of  America  have  complete  jurisdiction  in  these  tri- 
bunals in  actions  involving  property  rights  in  which 
a  European  or  American  may  be  interested  with 
other  aliens  or  with  Egyptians.  In  these  "  mixed  " 
courts  a  foreigner  can  bring  to  the  bar  the  Egyp- 
tian government,  or  its  titular  head,  in  an  action 
involving  property  or  monetary  interest. 

If  these  conditions  fail  to  complete  a  predicament 
remarkable  in  its  complications,  the  ancient  capit- 
ulations of  Ottoman  rulers,  by  which  fourteen  for- 

105 


Present-Day  Egypt 

eign  governments,  including  the  United  States, 
have  almost  sovereign  rights  in  Egypt,  independent 
of  local  authority,  will  surely  do  so.  The  conces- 
sions of  the  Sublime  Porte  give  to  these  nations 
as  full  control  of  their  subjects  or  citizens  as  if 
in  their  own  lands.  The  Egyptian  government 
itself  has  no  stronger  control  over  its  subjects. 
Thus  an  American,  an  Englishman,  or  a  French- 
man, who  can  be  proceeded  against  in  property 
matters  only  in  the  international  courts,  can  be 
apprehended  and  tried  for  a  criminal  offense  solely 
by  the  consular  authority  of  his  government  resi- 
dent in  Egypt. 

It  would  tax  the  capacity  of  the  proverbial  Phila- 
delphia lawyer  to  understand  the  capitulations  suffi- 
ciently to  be  able  to  impart  their  exact  significance. 
I  have  known  many  wiseacres  who  could  explain 
the  legal  status  of  the  Debt  Commission,  give  a 
comprehensible  epitome  of  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
mixed  courts,  or  define  the  diplomatic  niceties  of 
difference  between  "occupation"  and  "protector- 
ate " ;  but  not  one  in  a  thousand  can  describe  the 
Ottoman  capitulations,  beyond  telling  you  that 
they  date  from  this  or  that  century,  and  more  or 
less  vaguely  deal  with  the  rights  and  privileges  of 
Christians  living  within  the  Turkisli  realm. 

I  am  not  claiming  a  knowledge  superior  to  that 
of  other  seekers  for  light  who  take  the  time  to  ex- 
plore official  works  on  treaties  and  wade  through 
dozens  of  massive  volumes  on  Oriental  law.  It  is 
not  difficult  to  learn  that  the  first  capitulation  given 
by  the  Turkish  empire  to  the  United  States  of 

1 06 


Paradoxical  Administration 

America  was  accepted  by  Congress  and  the  Presi- 
dent in  1832 ;  but  this  sort  of  international  treaty 
antedates  America's  discovery. 

The  intercourse  of  the  Christian  world  with  the 
Mohammedan  is  not  founded  upon  the  law  of 
nations.  International  law,  as  professed  by  the 
nations  of  Christendom,  is  the  offspring  of  the  com- 
munion of  ideas  subsisting  between  them,  and  is 
based  upon  a  common  origin  and  an  almost  identi- 
cal religious  faith.  Between  the  peoples  of  Islam 
and  those  of  Europe  and  America  there  exists  no 
such  communion  of  ideas  and  principles  from  which 
a  true  international  law  could  spring.  Inasmuch 
as  the  propagation  of  Islam  is  the  chief  aim  of  all 
Moslems,  perpetual  warfare  against  Christians  and 
other  unbelievers,  to  convert  them  or  subject  them 
to  the  payment  of  tribute,  was  regarded  as  the  most 
sacred  duty  of  the  Mohammedan.  From  his  point 
of  view  the  whole  world  is  divided  into  two  parts 
— the  house  of  Islam,  and  the  conglomerate  mass 
of  unbelievers.  Yet  the  Moslem  felt  that  perpetual 
war  with  the  infidel  was  not  possible,  and  that  con- 
ventions should  be  made  for  the  advantage  of  both. 

Commerce,  the  source  of  wealth  and  the  means 
of  satisfying  some  of  the  most  imperative  needs  of 
mankind,  could  not  be  carried  on  without  deviat- 
ing from  the  severity  of  the  maxims  that  were  pro- 
fessed. Either  the  destruction  of  one  of  the  two 
peoples  must  have  ensued,  or  else  these  maxims 
must  be  departed  from,  the  Moslems  saw.  But  a 
subterfuge  was  resorted  to  to  escape  the  severe 
conditions,  whereby  a  conflict  with  the  doctrine  of 

109 


Present-Day  Egypt 

the  law  in  its  full  vigor  might  be  avoided,  and  the 
doctrine  itself  left  intact.  Treaty  measures  were 
thought  of.  But  it  would  never  do  to  call  them 
treaties.  The  representative  on  earth  of  the  pro- 
phet could  never  treat  a  Christian  ruler  as  an  equal. 
The  sultans  considered  themselves  the  only  sover- 
eigns of  the  earth ;  all  others  deserved  nothing  but 
pity  and  toleration.  Treaties  could  be  entered  into 
only  with  their  equals,  they  argued.  To  their  in- 
feriors only  grants  and  favors  were  possible. 

So  the  word  "  capitulation,"  meaning  letter  of 
privilege,  was  brought  into  use.  No  reciprocal 
obligation  was  constituted  by  a  capitulation,  as  it 
was  meant  to  be  a  purely  gratuitous  concession  and 
favor  granted  to  Christians,  by  virtue  of  which  they 
were  to  be  tolerated  upon  the  soil  of  Islam. 

The  need  for  this  concession  on  the  part  of  the 
Mussulmans  was  commerce,  as  I  have  said.  Had 
not  the  ships  of  the  western  world  come  to  their 
eastern  shores  to  exchange  with  them  the  products 
of  the  Levant,  these  products  would  have  had  no 
outlet,  and  the  producing  country  a  limited  source 
of  wealth;  and  had  not  the  merchant  of  Europe 
been  able  to  establish  his  domicile  in  the  land  of  the 
Moslem,  his  ships  would  never  have  approached 
Turkish  shores.  Some  of  the  capitulations  with 
the  Italian  republics  were  dated  as  early  as  1150. 
In  an  early  capitulation  with  France  the  Sultan 
called  himself  "  the  Sultan  of  glorious  sultans.  Em- 
peror of  powerful  emperors,  distributor  of  crowns 
to  those  seated  upon  thrones,  the  Shadow  of  God 
upon  earth,  the  asylum  of  justice,  the  fount  of 

no 


Paradoxical  Administration 

bappiness,"  and  much  more  in  the  same  vein.  In 
response  to  a  memorial  from  the  Queen  of  England, 
many  years  ago,  that  sovereign  was  described  by 
the  Sultan  of  Turkey  as  one  praying  for  certain 
privileges  for  her  merchants.  In  bestowing  the 
prayed-for  concession,  the  document  from  the  Sul- 
tan described  him  thus  modestly :  "  The  King  of 
kings,  the  Prince  of  emperors  of  every  age,  the 
dispenser  of  crowns  to  monarchs,  who,  by  divine 
grace,  assistance,  will,  benevolence,"  etc. 

But  these  dispensations,  notwithstanding  their 
grandiloquence,  have  the  force  and  character  of 
treaties,  and  guarantee  to  the  stranger  within  the 
Sultan's  gates,  whether  in  Turkey  proper  or  in 
Egypt,  full  and  complete  immunity  from  laws  gov- 
erning native  dwellers  in  those  lands.  Inviolability 
of  domicile,  freedom  from  taxation  of  every  sort,  and 
immunity  from  arrest  for  crime  and  misdemeanors, 
are  but  items  in  the  general  promise  not  to  molest 
the  alien.  These  treaties,  it  will  readily  be  seen, 
give  to  the  nations  possessing  them  almost  every 
privilege  of  extraterritoriality,  and  are  guarded 
with  jealous  watchfulness. 

The  capitulations  occasioned  so  much  confusion 
of  jurisdiction  in  Egypt,  where  many  Christian 
nationalities  were  represented,  that  Nubar  Pasha 
called  the  attention  of  Ismail  to  the  necessity  for 
reform,  and  himself  drew  up  a  project  which  was 
communicated  to  all  the  governments  maintaining 
representatives  in  Egypt. 

As  a  result,  an  international  commission  assem- 
bled in  1869,  under  the  presidency  of  Nubar,  who 

1 1 1 


Present-Day  Egypt 

was  minister  of  foreign  affairs,  and  united  in  a 
report  recommending  the  scheme.  This  was  signed 
by  the  representatives  of  the  United  States,  Aus- 
tria, Germany,  England,  France,  Russia,  and  Italy. 
At  subsequent  conventions  Belgium,  Spain,  Hol- 
land, G-reece,  Portugal,  Denmark,  and  Sweden- 
Norway  approved  the  plan.  On  June  28,  1875, 
Khedive  Ismail  inaugurated  the  court  at  Alexan- 
dria, although  it  was  not  until  February  1,  1876, 
that  the  new  system  of  jurisprudence  was  actually 
launched. 

The  procedure  is  practically  that  of  France,  the 
Code  Napoleon,  modified  to  suit  the  circumstances 
of  a  country  where  local  customs  and  religious  ob- 
ligations must  be  respected.  The  jurisdiction  is 
stated  in  this  extract  from  the  code  itself : 

"  The  new  tribunals  shall  have  cognizance  of  all 
controversies  in  matters  civil  or  commercial  be- 
tween natives  and  foreigners,  or  between  foreigners 
of  different  nationalities.  Apart  from  questions 
touching  the  statut  2)ersonnel  [questions  of  wills, 
successions,  heirship,  and  the  like,  which  are  regu- 
lated by  the  laws  of  the  country  of  the  individual], 
they  shall  have  cognizance  of  all  questions  touch- 
ing real  estate  between  all  persons,  even  though 
they  belong  to  the  same  [foreign]  nationality." 

It  is  of  good  augury  for  the  national  progress  that 
the  tribunals  years  ago  won  the  confidence  of  both 
natives  and  foreigners,  and  that  the  government 
bows  to  their  authority.  Europe  needed  no  better 
proof  of  their  efficacy  than  when  Ismail  and  the 
government  itself  were  brought  before  the  Court 

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Paradoxical  Administration 

of  Appeal  as  defendants,  when  failing  to  meet 
obligations  to  foreign  creditors. 

The  practice  is  common  for  a  native  having  an 
important  suit  to  assign  his  interest  to  a  foreign 
friend,  in  order  to  give  the  international  courts 
jurisdiction  of  his  cause,  thus  securing  intelligent 
and  fair  consideration.  A  few  years  since,  when 
some  of  the  powers  were  dilatory  in  giving  their 
adhesion  to  the  extension  of  the  courts,— for  every 
five  years  there  is  a  formal  renewal, — something 
like  a  panic  occurred  among  the  commercial  com- 
munity. 

Courts  of  first  instance  are  located  at  Cairo, 
Alexandria,  and  Mansurah,  and  the  Court  of  Ap- 
peal is  at  Alexandria.  The  minimum  pecuniary 
limit  of  appeal  is  four  hundred  dollars.  Three 
languages  are  recognized  in  pleadings  and  docu- 
ments,—French,  Italian,  and  Arabic,— and  it  is 
probable  that  English  will  shortly  be  added  to  the 
list.  The  foreign  counselors  of  the  appellate  court, 
nine  in  number,  receive  a  yearly  salary  of  nine  thou- 
sand two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  each,  and  their 
four  native  colleagues  half  as  much.  For  the  three 
lower  courts  twenty-seven  foreign  judges  are  em- 
ployed, each  receiving  a  salary  of  seven  thousand 
dollars,  their  fourteen  native  coadjutors  receiving 
half  as  much.  Five  judges— three  foreign  and  two 
native — sit  at  a  time.  The  United  States,  like  other 
great  powers,  has  one  representative  in  the  upper 
and  two  in  the  lower  courts.  While  the  tribunals 
were  not  intended  to  be  profit-earners,  their  receipts 
for  years  have  been    considerably   in   excess   of 

"5 


Present-Day  Egypt 

expenses.  Not  since  the  courts  were  created  has 
the  United  States  been  represented  by  abler  judges 
than  at  present.  Judges  Keiley,  Tuck,  and  Batchel- 
ler  reflect  credit  alike  on  their  profession  and  the 
government  that  selected  them. 

Inasmuch  as  the  jurisdiction  of  the  interna- 
tional courts  has  extended  since  the  reconquest  of 
the  Sudan,  the  Egyptian  government  is  agitating 
the  matter  of  sending  judges  on  circuit  to  Assuan, 
Suakim,  and  other  places,  if  they  can  be  prevailed 
upon  to  travel  such  distances. 

The  exclusion  of  the  English  language  from 
these  courts  has  for  years  been  an  obvious  anomaly, 
particularly  so  when  it  is  learned  that  more  than 
one  half  of  the  trade  of  the  country  is  with  Grreat 
Britain  and  her  colonies,  and  that  nearly  one  half 
the  tonnage  entering  Alexandria  harbor  is  British. 
International  jealousy  has  made  it  difficult  to 
change  in  any  measure  the  organic  scheme  of  the 
courts,  and  until  now  Great  Britain  has  feared  to 
press  the  question  of  admitting  the  English  lan- 
guage.   A  change  is  inevitable. 

To  take  the  census  in  Egypt  it  is  necessary  for 
the  Egyptian  government  first  to  assure  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  powers  that  its  agents  will  only 
knock  at  the  foreigner's  door  and  request  the  desired 
information.  Under  no  provocation  will  the  in- 
quisitor enter  the  domicile,  except  upon  the  invita- 
tion of  its  occupant.  Giovanni,  the  Italian  subject, 
who  opens  an  innocent  roulette  game  in  his  back 
room  for  revenue,  has  no  more  to  fear  from  the 
police  of  Egypt  than  from  the  police  of  Patagonia, 

ii6 


Paradoxical  Administration 

for  the  simple  reason  that  his  domicile  is  a  legal 
atom  of  Italy  set  down  on  Egyptian  territory.  His 
consul  alone  possesses  the  right  to  cause  his  arrest 
and  to  inflict  imprisonment  or  fine.  The  son  of 
Malta,  should  he  take  the  life  of  an  Egyptian,  as  he 
sometimes  does,  can  be  tried  and  punished  only 
by  the  consular  authority  of  G-reat  Britain.  The 
Greek  skipper  can  sail  fearlessly  into  Alexandria 
with  a  cargo  of  hashish,  and  the  local  police  can 
say  nothing  to  him.  If  he  is  unwise  enough  to  at- 
tempt to  land  the  contraband  article  while  the 
eyes  of  the  Egyptian  government  are  upon  him, 
the  police  can  seize  and  destroy  the  hashish,  but 
the  smuggler  can  be  reached  only  through  the 
Greek  diplomatic  agent  and  consul-general.  This 
makes  it  necessary  for  the  skipper  to  get  his  mer- 
chandise ashore  when  the  police  are  not  looking. 

Emanating  from  the  same  source  as  the  firman 
upon  which  is  based  the  khedival  authority,  and 
being  generally  much  older  than  Egyptian  auton- 
omy, the  capitulations  were  in  no  degree  abrogated 
or  amended  when  Ismail  induced  the  Sublime 
Porte  to  confer  upon  his  family  the  privileges  of 
entailed  rulership.  As  a  consequence,  there  is  at 
times  much  vexatious  friction  and  conflict  of 
authority  between  the  Egyptian  administration 
and  the  governments  enjoying  these  capitulations. 
Cairo  can  have  no  system  of  modern  drainage  be- 
cause some  of  the  European  governments  refuse  to 
give  their  consent  to  sanitary  officials  to  enter  the 
houses  of  their  subjects. 

The  highest  Egyptian  officials,  when  discharging 

117 


Present-Day  Egypt 

the  duties  of  their  positions,  sometimes  forget  the 
existence  of  the  capitulations.  A  few  years  ago  a 
French  newspaper  published  in  Cairo  was  so  severe 
in  its  criticisms  of  the  local  government  that  a 
khedival  minister  felt  that  the  journal  could  be 
suppressed  under  a  law  found  in  the  statute-book 
regulating  what  newspapers  could  and  could  not 
print.  The  press  censor  explained  to  him  that  his 
duty  was  clear,  and  with  a  posse  of  policemen  he 
forcibly  closed  the  office  of  the  offending  publica- 
tion. This  was  the  only  bit  of  good  luck  the  editor 
had  ever  experienced.  He  laid  the  case  before  the 
representative  of  the  French  government,  who,  it 
being  in  the  midst  of  the  holiday  period,  happened 
to  be  a  very  young  man  of  inferior  secretarial 
rank.  But  he  was  the  visible  representative  of  his 
nation,  nevertheless,  and  alone  enjoyed  the  power 
to  mete  out  punishment  to  the  French  editor.  The 
minister,  recognizing  the  blunder  he  had  made, 
promptly  set  to  work  to  repair  the  damage. 
Dressed  in  the  full  uniform  of  his  high  office,  he 
proceeded  to  the  French  diplomatic  agency  and 
formally  apologized  to  the  young  diplomatist ;  the 
flag  of  France  was  saluted  by  twenty-one  guns  from 
the  citadel,  and  the  editor  was  given  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars  of  the  Egyptian  taxpayers'  money 
for  the  injury  he  had  suffered  through  the  too 
summary  method  by  which  he  had  been  appre- 
hended for  a  flagrant  offense  against  an  administra- 
tion at  that  time  a  good  friend  of  France. 

The  minister  was  Nubar  Pasha,  who  died  in  1899, 
and  from  the  incident  I  have  detailed  he  is  said  to 

ii8 


1 


Paradoxical  Administration 

have  formed  an  aversion  for  journalists  amounting 
almost  to  detestation.  On  the  occasion  of  his  being 
made  prime  minister  by  Khedive  Abbas,  I  went 
to  his  ministry  to  extend  the  congratulations  and 
good  wishes  usual  to  the  event.  As  I  was  coming 
away,  a  group  of  correspondents  of  Continental  and 
English  papers  called  to  present  their  congratula- 
tions, and  incidentally  to  discover  if  he  had  any 
news  to  be  communicated  to  the  European  world. 
Nubar  shook  the  hand  of  each  almost  effusively 
before  saying :  "  Gentlemen,  I  am  glad  to  see  you, 
and  appreciate  your  kindness;  but  while  I  am 
preruier  there  will  be  no  news — none  whatever." 
rTDhe  Egypt  of  the  map  shows  upward  of  four 
hundred  thousand  square  miles,  an  area  seven 
times  as  great  as  New  England,  twice  that  of 
France,  and  more  than  three  times  that  of  the  Brit- 
ish Isles.  But  the  practical  Egypt— that  which 
sustains  life  by  vegetation,  and  the  government  by 
taxation — is  not  nearly  as  large  as  the  States  of 
Massachusetts  and  Connecticut  together,  or  of  Bel- 
gium alone.  The  ribbon-like  strip  of  cultivable 
land  bordering  the  Nile  and  forming  the  Delta  be- 
tween Cairo  and  the  Mediterranean  comprises  ten 
thousand  five  hundred  square  miles  of  fertile  soil, 
and  makes,  strictly  speaking,  an  elongated  oasis 
in  the  North  African  desert. 

The  Egypt  thus  sketched  stretches  from  Wady- 
Halfa  (second  cataract),  21°  53"  north  latitude, 
to  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  31°  35"  north  latitude. 
The  breadth  is  limited  by  the  Libyan  and  Arabian 
chains   of  hills  on  either  bank  of  the  Nile,  and 

1 19 


Present-Day  Egypt 

varies  from  five  eighths  of  a  mile  to  fourteen 
miles.  The  name  "Egypt"  is  of  Greek  origin. 
According  to  Brugsch,  it  is  corrupted  from  the 
hieroglyphic  Ha-ka-pta,  that  is,  "  House  of  the  Wor- 
ship of  Ptah,"  the  Creator  of  the  world.  The  name 
in  vogue  among  the  ancient  Egyptians  was  Chemi, 
meaning  "Black  Country,"  derived  from  the  color 
of  the  Nile  mud.  Among  the  Hebrews  Egypt  was 
called  Masar,  the  Mizraim  of  the  Bible ;  and  the 
Arabs  of  to-day  call  it  Masr,  which  name  applies 
especially  to  Cairo,  the  capital.  The  Turks  call  the 
country  Gipt,  which  is  evidently  an  abbreviation  of 
the  Greek  Aig^jptos. 

Ten  or  twelve  years  ago  Egypt  was  insolvent. 
To-day  she  is  easy  with  prosperity.  The  position 
of  the  fellaheen  is  constantly  improving.  The  cor- 
vee is  abolished,  and  the  people  have  no  more 
compulsory  labor,  except  to  keep  the  Nile  within 
bounds  at  high  flood,  for  which  they  are  paid. 
Slavery  is  forbidden  by  khedival  decree,  land-taxes 
are  gradually  being  reduced,  and  extortion  and  cor- 
ruption seem  to  have  been  stamped  out.  Egypt 
sells  cereals  enough  to  pay  for  the  imported  articles 
necessary  to  maintain  her  simple  standard  of  life. 

The  population  of  Egypt  is  a  theme  that  has  in- 
terested more  than  one  generation  of  observers  and 
writers.  Under  the  Ptolemies  we  are  asked  to  be- 
lieve that  the  country  had  20,000,000  people ;  but 
it  is  fairly  authentic  that  Napoleon  found  only 
2,500,000  when  he  went  there  in  1798.  At  that 
time  they  had  long  been  ground  down  into  hopeless 
degradation  and  poverty  to  pander  to  the  luxury 

I  20 


Paradoxical  Administration 

and  vice  of  a  few  haughty  masters.  Oriental  vo- 
luptuousness had  reigned  in  the  palaces,  while 
beggary  and  wretchedness  dwelt  in  the  mud 
hovels  of  the  defrauded  and  degraded  people. 

In  1846,  under  Mehemet  Ali,  the  population  was 
estimated  at  only  4,500,000.  The  census  of  1882, 
which  was  a  most  imperfect  one,  showed  over 
6,750,000;  and  that  of  1897,  to  be  considered  as 
fairly  accurate,  as  it  was  made  under  British  su- 
pervision, indicated  a  total  population  between 
Wady-Halfa  and  the  Mediterranean  of  9,750,000. 
Of  this  total,  50.8  per  cent,  were  males,  and  49.2  per 
cent,  females.  After  deductions  for  women,  chil- 
dren under  seven  years,  and  desert  Bedouins,  it 
was  calculated  that  12  per  cent,  of  the  males  could 
read  and  write,  the  remainder  being  entirely  illiter- 
ate. The  native  Egyptians  numbered  9,008,000,  to 
which  were  to  be  added  40,000  originally  from 
other  parts  of  the  Ottoman  empire,  and  574,000 
Bedouins.  Of  these  last  only  89,000  were  really 
nomads,  the  remainder  being  described  as  semi- 
sedentary.  Of  foreign  residents  there  were  112,500, 
of  whom  the  Greeks  were  the  most  numerous,  with 
38,000;  then  came  the  Italians,  24,500;  British 
(including  6500  Maltese  and  5000  of  the  army  of 
occupation),  19,500 ;  French  (including  4000  Alge- 
rians and  Tunisians),  14,000;  Austrians,  7000; 
Eussians,  1400 ;  Germans,  1300 ;  and  the  remainder 
divided  among  ten  different  nationalities,  the 
United  States  being  represented  by  less  than  200 
missionaries  and  naturalized  citizens. 

The  classification  according  to  religions  showed 
123 


Present-Day  Egypt 

nearly  9,000,000  Mohammedans,  730,000  Chris- 
tians, and  25,000  Israelites.  The  Christians  in- 
cluded the  Coptic  race,  numbering  about  608,000, 
of  whom  only  a  small  proportion  professed  the 
Roman  Catholic  or  Protestant  faith.  Cairo  was 
found  to  contain  570,000  inhabitants ;  Alexandria, 
320,000 ;  Tanta  (the  largest  town  in  the  interior  of 
the  Delta),  57,000 ;  Zagazig  and  Mansurah,  35,000 
each ;  Port  Said,  42,000 ;  Suez,  17,000 ;  and  Ismailia, 
nearly  7000.  From  the  figures  dealing  with  the 
last  three  towns  it  may  be  inferred  that  over 
50,000  persons  derive  their  living  from  the  Suez 
Canal.  The  largest  town  in  Upper  Egypt,  Assiut, 
had  42,000,  Keneh  ranking  next  with  24,000.  The 
total  number  of  centers  of  population,  comprising 
towns,  villages,  farms,  settlements,  and  Bedouin  en- 
campments, was  found  to  be  18,129. 

The  rapid  increase  in  recent  years  in  the  popula- 
tion is  explained  in  great  measure  by  the  prosper- 
ity of  the  country,  which  had  drawn  a  large  number 
of  discontented  people  from  the  Mahdi's  territory 
south  of  Wady-Halfa.  A  decided  lessening  of  mor- 
tality, resulting  from  the  introduction  of  rigorous 
hygienic  measures,  has  likewise  had  its  effect. 
There  has  been  a  marked  decrease  in  child  mor- 
tality of  late  years. 

With  the  cultivated  area  estimated  to  be  ten 
thousand  five  hundred  square  miles,  Egypt's  popu- 
lation has  increased  in  density  to  the  enormous 
figure  of  928  to  the  square  milo,^  being  thus  greater 

1  To  make  this  statement  credible  to  those  who  may  look  to  other 
countries  for  comparisons,  it  must  be  explained  that  in  Egypt  prac- 

I  24 


Paradoxical  Administration 

than  any  conntry  in  Europe.  Belgium  has  a  den- 
sity of  540  to  the  square  mile,  while  Great  Britain 
has  a  home  population  of  only  315,  Germany  22-4, 
and  France  186. 

Since  the  year  1886  the  finances  of  Egypt  have 
improved  to  an  extent  emphasizing  the  nation's 
emergence  from  practical  bankruptcy  to  an  envi- 
able condition  of  credit  to  be  found  in  the  history 
of  but  few  countries.  So  marked  was  the  improve- 
ment that  in  1890  the  government  was  in  a  posi- 
tion to  carry  into  effect  a  conversion  of  the  whole 
of  its  external  debt,  thereby  scaling  the  rate  of  in- 
terest in  some  instances  nearly  half.  Although 
Egypt's  burden  of  interest  has  thus  been  greatly  de- 
creased, yet  the  country  has  still  to  find  nearly  nine- 
teen million  dollars  for  the  yearly  interest  charges. 
The  present  bonded  debt,  approximately  stated,  with 
the  current  premium  quoted  on  European  bourses 
on  the  several  classes  of  obligations,  is  as  follows : 

Guaranteed  loan,  3  %  (quoted  5  premium)  $  42,442,000 
Privileged  debt,  3^%  (quoted  2f  premium)  142,854,000 
Unified  debt,  4  %  (quoted  7    premium)      272,037,000 

Domains  loan,  4^%  (quoted  5    premium)        19,418,000 

Daira  Sanieh  loan,  4  %  (quoted  1^  premium)        32,191,000 
Total  bonded  debt,  $508,942,000 

tieally  every  acre  of  the  soil  not  belonging  to  the  desert  is  under  cul- 
tivation, producing  one,  oftentimes  two,  and  occasionally  three  crops 
a  year.  There  are  no  waste  lands,  forests,  or  mountains.  Were  not 
almost  every  foot  of  the  soil  utilized,  it  would  not  be  possible  for 
928  persons  to  the  square  mile  to  be  supported.  And,  further,  it 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  official  census  fixing  Egypt's  popu- 
lation at  9,750,000  included  many  Bedouin  tribes  and  other  desert- 
dwellers,  and  was  further  swollen  by  the  inclusion  of  many  Nubians 
who  had  left  their  southern  provinces  and  crossed  the  fi-ontier  into 
Egypt. 

1  2C 


Present-Day  Egypt 

This  burden,  applying  to  a  community  purely 
agricultural,  where  manual  labor  is  worth  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  cents  a  day,  and  to  a  tillable  area 
estimated  at  ten  thousand  five  hundred  square 
miles,  is  almost  overpowering.  It  means  a  per 
capita  debt  of  $52.20,  accepting  the  late  official  cen- 
sus to  be  correct.  The  count  of  1882  showed  the 
indebtedness  to  be  $72.70,  but  the  last  census  aids 
England's  desire  to  make  a  statistical  showing  of 
progress.  The  too  liberal  inclusion  of  desert- 
dwellers  and  Sudanese  in  the  statement  of  popu- 
lation has  little  real  bearing  upon  the  condition 
of  the  agricultural  native.  But,  accepting  the  pro 
rata  debt  as  $52.20,  that  obligation  of  the  Nilot  is 
more  than  the  present  or  half  a  dozen  generations 
can  discharge.  Even  the  Turk  or  the  G-reek 
does  not  owe  as  much.  Frenchmen  and  English- 
men owe  considerably  more  than  the  Egyptians, 
but  their  resources  and  earning  capacity  are  incom- 
parably greater,  and  their  creditors  are  their  own 
countrypeople.  The  public  debt  of  the  United 
States,  recently  emerged  from  a  costly  foreign  war, 
shows  a  per  capita  obligation  of  only  about  $19. 

Egyptian  securities  ruled  very  low  in  the  year  of 
the  Arabi  rebellion,  and  the  year  following,  in 
which  occurred  the  fiasco  in  the  Sudan.  "Uni- 
fieds"  for  a  time  were  quoted  at  46 J,  and  an  aver- 
age price  for  months  for  nearly  every  class  of 
Egyptian  securities  was  50,  meaning  that  prudent 
investors  would  give  only  half  its  face  value  for  the 
bonded  debt  of  Egypt.  It  has  never  been  possible 
to  determine  the  nationality  of  holders  of  Egyptian 

126 


Paradoxical  Administration 

securities.  Interest  coupons  are  presented  in  Lon- 
don, Paris,  Berlin,  and  Cairo,  and  naturally  at  the 
place  where  exchange  is  highest,  or  where  income 
taxes  can  best  be  escaped.  It  is  believed,  however, 
that  Britishers  own  half  of  them. 

Discouragements  of  every  sort  beset  the  work  of 
regeneration  entered  upon  by  Tewfik  Pasha  and 
the  Englishmen  electing  to  labor  with  him,  follow- 
ing the  events  of  1882.  For  years  it  was  a  neck- 
and-neck  race  with  bankruptcy.  Indemnification 
of  Alexandrians  whose  property  was  destroyed  by 
reason  of  the  bombardment  and  sacking,  the  mili- 
tary disaster  resulting  in  the  loss  of  the  Sudan, 
and  other  inevitable  expenditures,  swelled  the  na- 
tional debt  by  nearly  forty  million  dollars  in  excess 
of  what  it  was  when  the  British  went  to  the  coun- 
try. Recuperation  was  brought  about  by  checking 
waste  and  dishonesty,  developing  the  soil,  and  add- 
ing to  the  cultivable  territory  by  scientific  irriga- 
tion. The  reduction  by  half  of  railroad,  postal,  and 
telegraph  rates  proved  the  wisdom  of  legislating  for 
the  earning  classes,  by  doubling  the  service  and 
augmenting  the  income.  The  salt  monopoly,  as 
well,  was  rendered  more  profitable  by  the  sweeping 
reduction  in  the  price  of  that  commodity. 

Changes  of  any  sort  are  made  with  difficulty, 
because  of  the  unique  conditions  detailed  in  this 
chapter.  The  public  cash-box  guarded  by  repre- 
sentatives of  six  European  governments,  and  treaty 
privileges  possessed  by  fourteen  powers,  some  of 
which  are  not  in  sympathy  with  the  present  control 
of  affairs  by  England,  make  progress  difficult.    The 

I  27 


Present-Day  Egypt 

restoration  of  Egypt  to  admitted  prosperity,  conse- 
quently, at  a  period  when  shrinkage  in  prices  of 
cotton,  sugar,  and  grain  has  been  very  great,  must 
be  regarded  as  a  conspicuous  triumph.  Khedive 
Abbas  and  his  co-workers  have  much  to  accomplish 
still;  but  system  and  economy  being  now  estab- 
lished on  a  secure  basis,  the  attainment  to  perma- 
nent success  cannot  be  difficult. 

A  striking  feature  of  the  governmental  manage- 
ment of  railways  in  Egypt  is  that  only  forty-three 
per  cent,  of  the  gross  receipts  are  applied  to  operat- 
ing expenses.  Native  la.bor,  moderate  speed  of  or- 
dinary trains,  and  a  rainless  and  frostless  climate 
make  this  possible.  The  state  lines  carry  now  up- 
ward of  ten  million  passengers  in  a  year,  and  the 
receipts  from  all  sources  are  not  far  from  nine  mil- 
lion dollars  annually.  By  reason  of  the  important 
reduction  of  fares,  previously  spoken  of,  the  num- 
ber of  passengers  has  been  doubled  in  a  few  years. 
All-rail  travel  from  the  Mediterranean  to  the  first 
cataract  of  the  Nile  has  been  possible  for  nearly  a 
year.  From  Luxor  southward  the  railway  is  nar- 
row-gage, harmonizing  with  the  lines  building  in 
the  Sudan  for  military  purposes. 

The  rapid  augmentation  of  winter  travel  to  the 
Nile  is  helping  the  lot  of  the  Egyptian  materially. 
In  an  average  year  the  pleasure-  and  health-seekers, 
approaching  eight  thousand  in  number,  distribute 
fully  five  million  dollars  in  the  country,  and  it  is 
estimated  that  in  a  good  season  half  this  sum  is 
left  behind  by  Americans. 

As  in  all  countries  where  the  gulf  between  the 
128 


Paradoxical  Administration 

masses  and  the  upper  class  is  wide,  the  desire  for 
petty  office-holding  is  one  of  the  crying  evils  of 
Egypt.  It  is  estimated  that  two  per  cent,  of  the 
able-bodied  men  serve  the  government  in  some 
capacity,  and  to  secure  public  employ  is  the  dream 
of  nearly  every  youth  not  satisfied  to  become  a 
farmer.  Nepotism  formerly  had  full  play,  and  it  is 
now  difficult  to  make  the  people  understand  that 
merit  and  capacity  should  place  one  in  the  public 
service,  rather  than  favor.  Ministries  and  public 
offices  appear  to  be  overcrowded  with  subordinates 
of  every  conceivable  nationality.  The  responsible 
heads  of  departments  are  generally  English,  but  the 
clerks  are  French,  Italian,  Syrian,  and  Egyptian, 
with  a  liberal  sprinkling  of  British  subjects.  Func- 
tionaries of  the  Egyptian  government  are  surpris- 
ingly overpaid  or  underpaid,  their  salaries  being 
strangely  out  of  proportion.  Cabinet  officers  are 
paid  fifteen  thousand  dollars  a  year,  and  under- 
secretaries seventy-five  hundred  dollars— twice 
what  Washington  officials  of  the  same  grade  receive. 
But  many  of  the  hardest-worked  accountants  and 
translators  are  rewarded  with  salaries  barely  suffi- 
cient to  provide  the  necessaries  of  life.  The  de- 
partments and  bureaus  of  the  government  are  open 
only  in  the  forenoon,  and  the  official  day's  work 
never  exceeds  five  hours,  and  nearly  every  week 
has  a  religious  or  other  anniversary  that  is  treated 
as  a  holiday.  In'  that  halcyon  period  known  as 
"  the  good  old  days  "  there  were  more  civil  servants 
in  Egypt  than  in  Great  Britain,  with  five  times  the 
population.    Many  abuses  have  been  abolished,  but 


Present-Day  Egypt 

thorough  reform  has  yet  to  be  accomplished  m  the 
public  service  of  Egypt  to  place  it  on  a  footing  by 
which  it  might  be  compared  with  public  employ- 
ment in  either  the  United  States  or  Great  Britain. 

The  "  international "  aspect  of  Egypt  is  an  expen- 
sive luxury,  and  contributes  in  no  small  measure 
to  the  demands  upon  the  public  treasury.  The 
International  Debt  Commission,  for  illustration, 
brings  to  Cairo  delegates  of  the  powers  which  are 
the  country's  creditors.  Each  is  paid  a  salary  of 
ten  thousand  dollars  by  the  khedival  government 
for  looking  after  the  interests  of  his  countrymen 
fortunate  enough  to  own  Egyptian  bonds,  which  can 
be  sold  anywhere  at  a  substantial  premium,  and 
which,  very  likely,  were  purchased  at  a  price  far 
below  their  par  value.  Having  no  voice  whatever 
in  fixing  the  rate  of  interest,  or  the  proportion 
going  to  the  different  countries,  it  might  occur  to 
the  strict  reformer  that  a  competent,  trustworthy 
accountant  could  perform  the  service  of  these  six 
officials,  with  a  great  saving  to  the  toiling  masses 
of  Egypt.  But  the  countries  interested  would  no 
more  be  able  to  agree  on  the  nationality  of  such  an 
accountant  than  were  the  same  powers  in  deciding 
the  question  of  nationality  of  the  governor  of  Crete 
after  the  Grreco-Turkish  war. 

The  railway  system  of  less  than  fifteen  hundred 
miles  is  managed  by  three  princely  paid  men,  act- 
ing for  England,  France,  and  Egypt.  In  Europe 
or  America  a  single  competent  man  would  do  it  all, 
for  a  fraction  of  the  pay,  and  most  likely  find  time 
hanging  heavily  on  his  hands  and  want  more  to  do. 

132 


Paradoxical  Administration 

Similarly,  the  spirit  of  internationalism  dominates 
the  Daira  Sanieh,  the  State  Domains,  and  other 
divisions  of  the  government,  aggregating  a  mighty 
draft  on  the  exchequer.  But  the  customs  and  post- 
office  departments,  each  with  a  single  head,  are 
models  of  perfection.  The  postal  service,  managed 
by  Saba  Pasha,  seems  to  be  faultless. 

The  purchasing  power,  held  to  be  indicative  of  a 
nation's  pecuniary  condition,  has  advanced  with 
other  statistics  dealing  with  the  country's  welfare. 
In  1882  the  imports  were  valued  at  $32,127,650 ;  in 
1890,  $40,409,635,  and  in  1896,  $45,750,000.  Exports 
for  the  same  years— cotton,  cotton-seed,  sugar,  and 
grain— were  valued  at  $54,977,850,  $59,373,490,  and 
$66,000,000,  respectively.  More  than  half  of  the 
foreign  commerce  is  with  Great  Britain.  The  cot- 
ton crop,  wholly  exported,  produces  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  $50,000,000  a  year.  Of  this  the  United 
States  buys  about  $4,000,000  worth.  The  tonnage 
arrivals  at  the  port  of  Alexandria  have  nearly 
doubled  since  1882,  and  in  a  normal  year  are 
slightly  in  excess  of  two  million  tons.  The  port 
receipts  are  as  high  as  $7,000,000  in  a  year. 

To  carry  on  the  government  requires  about  $53,- 
000,000  a  year.  It  used  to  be  more  in  the  free-and- 
easy  times  when  budget-making  was  the  merest 
guesswork,  and  deficiencies  could  be  explained  in 
the  convenient  phrase,  "  insufficiency  of  receipts." 
The  heaviest  outlay  is  for  interest  on  the  bonded 
indebtedness,  $18,850,000 ;  while  the  annual  tribute 
to  the  Sultan  (signed  away  by  that  monarch  to 
European    bankers)    consumes    $3,365,200    more. 

^33 


Present-Day  Egypt 

The  khedive,  kbedival  family,  and  palace  expenses, 
coming  under  the  head  of  "civil  list,"  call  for 
$1,159,000.  In  ordinary  times  the  army  and  mili- 
tary police  cost  $2,390,000,  and  civil  and  military 
pensions  $2,150,000  more. 

Nearly  half  of  the  sum  required  to  carry  on  the 
Egyptian  government  is  produced  by  direct  taxa- 
tion on  land.  The  other  half  is  made  up  by  in- 
direct taxation,  from  the  following  sources:  cus- 
toms receipts  (eight  per  cent,  on  imports  and  one 
per  cent,  on  exports),  tax  on  date-trees,  tobacco  tax, 
municipal  octroi  on  food  and  merchandise,  stamp 
duties,  receipts  from  railways,  post-offices,  tele- 
graphs, lighthouses,  and  courts  of  justice.  The 
sale  of  salt  and  natron  gives  a  yearly  revenue  of 
nearly  $8,000,000. 

A  reform  of  the  greatest  importance,  to  become 
effective  in  the  immediate  future,  is  the  adjustment 
of  inequalities  in  the  land-tax.  By  the  old  scheme 
of  estimating  values  many  anomalies  were  coun- 
tenanced, as  well  as  many  injustices.  It  was  not 
unusual  to  find  land  renting  at  thirty  or  thirty -five 
dollars  an  acre  paying  the  government  only  two 
and  a  half  dollars  in  taxes.  In  Ismail's  time  there 
was  no  rule  for  the  collection  of  taxes,  and  the 
minions  of  the  government  went  prepared  to  take 
from  the  farmer  every  penny  his  crops  had  pro- 
duced, and  then  flog  him  into  boiTowing  at  hea^^ 
usury  any  additional  sum  the  rapacious  collector 
chose  to  demand.  Not  until  Khedive  Tewfik's 
reign  was  a  receipt  of  any  kind  given  the  peasant 
to  show  that  he  had  paid  his  taxes  and  that  no 


Paradoxical  Administration 

more  was  due  for  the  current  year.  Simple  as 
was  the  giving  of  such  a  receipt,  nothing  more 
potent  for  alleviating  the  position  of  the  fellaheen 
was  ever  inaugurated.  It  was  a  reform  benefiting 
every  tiller  of  the  soil,  and  was  in  operation  before 
"  the  coming  of  the  English." 

The  scheme  of  taxation  in  force  for  some  years 
has  been  arbitrary  and  inequitable.  A  definite  tax 
has  been  prescribed  for  certain  districts,  which  only 
a  portion  of  the  land  was  capable  of  paying.  The 
reform  in  hand  has  been  to  create  a  schedule  based 
upon  rental  values,  that  each  acre  may  be  assessed 
commensurately  with  its  producing  capacity.  The 
total  taxation  of  the  country  is  not  to  be  increased 
under  the  new  system,  the  movement  being  in- 
tended to  relieve  the  small  proprietor,  who  will  pay 
less  per  acre,  while  the  pasha  landlord,  once  pow- 
erful enough  to  have  his  thousands  of  acres  assessed 
at  whatever  he  chose  to  pay,  will  be  called  upon  to 
contribute  to  the  public  expenses  by  a  proportion- 
ately higher  estimate  of  land  values.  These  glar- 
ing inequalities  were  brought  into  prominence  by 
the  decreasing  prices  of  crops,  and  relief  was  im- 
peratively necessary. 

The  land-tax  has  ever  been  the  millstone  about 
the  neck  of  the  Egyptian,  sapping  his  energies  and 
stunting  his  intellectual  growth.  The  ancestors  of 
the  peasant  now  toiling  from  long  before  sunrise 
until  after  sunset,  nearly  every  day  in  the  year, 
have  been  tillers  of  the  soil  and  drawers  of  water 
since  the  world  began ;  and  their  incessant  toil  has 
produced  but  little— for  them.    It   will  surprise 


Present-Day  Egypt 


American  farmers  and  British  agriculturists  to 
know  that  some  of  their  brethren  of  the  Nile 
pay  a  land-tax  of  eight  dollars  per  acre  annually, 
and  that  the  average  tax  of  the  country  approxi- 
mates four  dollars  to  the  acre.  The  heaviest  tax  is 
on  the  choice  lands  of  the  Delta,  possessing  such 
exceptional  richness  that  five  hundredweight  or 
more  of  cotton  per  acre  is  produced  each  year  with 
comparative  certainty. 

To-day's  prosperity  of  the  fellah  of  Egypt,  per- 
mitting him  to  have  a  few  dollars  after  the  adjust- 
ment of  accounts  following  the  sale  of  his  crops, 
occasionally  to  augment  his  vegetable  diet  by 
a  dish  of  meat,  and  to  seek  recreation  at  his  be- 
loved religious  fairs,  is  of  recent  origin  and  slow 
growth :  it  began  with  the  introduction  of  tax  re- 
ceipts, and  has  been  nurtured  at  intervals  by  tri- 
fling reductions  in  taxation,  as  the  area  has  been 
added  to  by  irrigation  at  a  rate  in  excess  of  the 
government's  pecuniary  needs.  Being  humanely 
treated,  the  present-day  Egyptian  realizes  that  he 
is  a  human  being ;  and  it  is  the  opinion  of  those 
capable  of  judging  that  more  has  been  done  in  the 
last  fifteen  years  for  his  well-being  than  in  all  the 
rest  of  the  century.  The  humane  work  was  inau- 
gurated under  Tewfik  Pasha,  and  the  administra- 
tion headed  by  Khedive  Abbas  is  carrying  it  for- 
ward with  intelligent  perseverance. 

The  country's  obligations  to  European  creditors 
are  sufficiently  menacing  and  burdensome  to  com- 
pel the  small  farmer  to  keep  out  of  the  clutches  of 
the  Greek  or  Syrian  money-lender  at  his  gates,  if 

138 


Paradoxical  Administration 

he  can.  Nevertheless,  the  strictly  home  indebted- 
ness secured  by  farm  mortgages  is  greater  than  it 
should  be.  Some  critics  insist  that  this  is  certain 
proof  that  the  boasted  prosperity  of  the  country  is 
fictitious,  and  exhibit  statistics  to  support  their 
argument.  Critics  friendly  to  English  rule  array 
figures  calculated  to  show  that  the  aggregate  do- 
mestic mortgage  indebtedness  is  very  small,  less 
than  forty  million  dollars,  and  that  it  is  the  pro- 
prietors of  fifty  acres  and  upward  who  have 
pledged  their  farms ;  and,  further,  that  they  have 
done  this  only  to  be  able  to  buy  more  land,  being 
confident  of  an  appreciation  of  values.  It  is  a  fact, 
I  believe,  that  the  proportion  of  petty  holders  bor- 
rowing by  mortgage  is  small,  and  they  are  the 
people  whose  welfare  first  deserves  consideration. 
The  recent  expansion  of  the  cultivable  area  being 
chiefly  in  Upper  Egypt  and  portions  of  the  Nile 
valley  where  the  fertility  cannot  be  compared  to 
that  of  Lower  Egypt,  there  has  been  a  correspond- 
ing decrease  in  the  average  value  of  the  acre. 
When  I  investigated  the  subject  five  years  ago,  I 
arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  $115  was  a  fair  esti- 
mate of  the  value  of  productive  Egypt,  acre  for 
acre.  Now,  when  the  character  of  the  newly  ac- 
quired extensions  is  considered,  it  is  my  judgment 
that  the  average  value  of  the  6,720,000  acres  has 
fallen  to  $105.  Readers  of  mathematical  mind,  dis- 
covering that  the  foreign  bonded  indebtedness  on 
every  acre  of  productive  soil  averages  $75.74,  and 
adding  $8  for  home  mortgage  burden  (to  my  mind 
estimated  at  too  low  a  sum),  find  that  but  little 

139 


Present-Day  Egypt 

equity  remains  to  tlie  Egj^tian,  who  for  more  than 
six  thousand  years  has  been  the  most  industrious 
and  light-hearted  of  husbandmen.  Plainly  stated, 
it  means  a  margin  of  only  $21.26  an  acre.  And  his 
energy  must  not  flag  for  generations  to  come,  lest 
his  fellow-creature  in  enlightened  Europe  be  in 
arrears  over  his  interest  on  "  Egyptians."  Blessed 
be  Allah ! 

In  Viscount  Cromer  the  British  government  has 
one  of  its  ablest  administrators,  and  as  forceful  and 
far-seeing  a  man  as  England's  group  of  aggressive 
empire-builders  can  show.  A  Baring,  of  the  bank- 
ing family,  he  graduated  from  the  British  army 
into  the  foreign  civil  service,  where  his  adminis- 
trative genius  was  manifested  years  ago  by  his 
good  work  in  India,  and  the  fact  accepted  by  all 
political  parties  in  Parliament  that  he  was  a  man 
to  be  trusted.  As  England's  representative  in  the 
dual  financial  control  of  Egypt,  in  the  years  im- 
mediately precedent  to  the  "occupation"  of  the 
country  by  Great  Britain,  his  tact  and  honesty 
contributed  greatly  to  preserving  the  apparent 
entente  cordiale  with  France,  really  chafing  under 
the  gradual  impairment  of  prestige  in  the  land  of 
the  Nile.  The  dual  control  ended.  Major  Baring 
was  elevated  to  the  position  of  diplomatic  agent 
and  consul-general  in  Egypt,  and  given  almost 
plenary  power,  not  only  in  carrying  into  effect  in- 
structions and  suggestions  from  London,  but  in 
shaping  Britain's  policy  in  the  Nile  valley  and  Delta. 
The  effective  manner  in  which  he  has  handled 
Egj^tian  affairs  has  made  him  his  nation's  credi- 

140 


VISCOUXT  CROMER,  BRITISH  DIPLOMATIC  AGEXT 
AND  CONSUL-GENERAL. 


Paradoxical  Administration 

tor;  and  the  honors  bestowed  upon  him— knight- 
hood first,  then  a  barony  and  peerage,  and  finally 
the  viscountship — but  inadequately  discharge  the 
debt  that  his  government  owes  him.  So  deter- 
mined is  he  to  carry  his  administration  of  Egypt 
to  a  triumphant  termination  that  an  offer  of  the 
viceroyship  of  India,  or  a  cabinet  position  in  Lon- 
don, has  awakened  no  desire  to  leave  Cairo. 

Lord  Cromer  is  de  facto  ruler  of  Egj^t,  the  visi- 
ble but  unclassified  representative  of  the  majesty 
of  Great  Britain,  with  almost  unlimited  power  and 
authority.  Dejure  he  is  Britain's  diplomatic  rep- 
resentative,— nothing  more, — and  his  exequatur  is- 
sues from  the  Sublime  Porte  in  exactly  the  same 
form  as  that  of  the  representative  of  any  other 
government  at  the  court  of  the  khedive.  This  is 
but  one  of  the  paradoxes  incident  to  present-day 
Egypt.  Possessing  little  aptitude  for  accepted 
formulae  of  diplomacy,  perhaps,  Lord  Cromer 
makes  a  thoroughly  reliable  doyen  of  the  diplo- 
matic corps,  which  he  is  because  his  appoint- 
ment antedates  that  of  any  of  his  colleagues.  He 
cares  nothing  for  display,  detests  shams,  is  a  keen 
judge  of  men,  and  selects  his  assistants  with  such 
discernment  that  his  judgment  seldom  errs.  De- 
void of  a  sense  of  humor,  and  unimaginative.  Lord 
Cromer  analyzes  with  great  care  a  question  in 
which  the  interests  of  others  are  concerned ;  and,  an 
opinion  formed,  his  conclusion  is  bound  to  prevail. 
Viscount  Cromer  is  a  man  of  marvelous  industry. 
He  reads  Homer,  learns  a  language,— even  Turk- 
ish,—and  plays  tennis  or   whist  with  the   same 

H3 


Present-Day  Egypt 

energy,  and  with  the  same  object— to  win.  Since 
the  demise  of  Lady  Cromer  he  toils  harder  than 
ever.  In  conversation  one  feels  that  he  is  more 
preoccupied  with  what  he  intends  to  say  than  with 
his  manner  of  expressing  it.  This  is  but  a  sketchy 
description  of  an  interesting  man  and  his  charac- 
ter; but  it  is  sufficient,  possibly,  to  explain  the 
success  of  England's  rule  in  Egypt. 


144 


^OJL.  ^A^X, 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  EXPANSION  OF  PEODUCTIVE  EGYPT  BY  IKKIGATION 

THE  most  interesting  page  in  the  modern  his- 
tory of  Egypt  is  that  which  records  the  de- 
velopment of  scientific  irrigation. 

Coincident  with  the  preparation  of  this  volume 
for  publication,  one  of  the  most  stupendous  en- 
gineering feats  ever  undertaken  by  man  is  beings 
executed  on  the  Egyptian  frontier,  having  for  its 
purpose  the  ponding  back  into  Nubia  of  a  body 
of  water  perhaps  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  long, 
crossing  the  tropic  of  Cancer,  and  extending  south- 
ward nearly  to  Korosko,— a  goodly  step  on  the  jour- 
ney to  Abu-Simbel  and  Wady-Halfa,— by  means 
of  a  great  dam  across  the  Nile  at  Assuan.  The 
Pyramids  and  the  Sphinx  have  borne  testimony 
through  the  centuries  to  the  gi'andeur  and  power  of 
execution  which  dwelt  within  the  Nile  valley ;  and 
what  more  fitting  now  than  that  the  same  valley 
should  be  the  theater  of  a  gigantic  engineering  ex- 
ploit, audacious  perhaps,  but  certain  of  success,  and 
ministering  to  man's  necessities,  rather  than  to  his 
vanity  ? 

As  a  wholesale  rearrangement  of  nature's  surface 
the  project  outranks  anything  hitherto  attempted 

H5 


Present-Day  Egypt 

by  engineering  skill ;  and  as  a  building  achievement 
the  scheme  is  on  a  scale  worthy  of  a  Rameses  or  a 
Pharaoh.  To  create  in  the  midst  of  the  African 
desert  a  lake  having  possibly  three  times  the  su- 
perficial area  of  Lake  Geneva  in  Switzerland,  and 
control  it  with  scientific  precision,  so  that  the  im- 
pounded flood  may  be  turned  into  distant  channels 
at  will,  is  a  comprehensive  undertaking.  But  the 
engineers  claim  that  their  plans  can  be  carried  out 
to  the  letter ;  they  have  estimated  the  exact  cost  of 
the  dam,  computed  almost  to  the  gallon  the  volume 
of  water  that  will  be  imprisoned,  and  figured  the 
necessary  resistance  to  be  provided  at  every  point 
of  the  masonry.  In  Cairo,  the  experts  of  the  min- 
istries of  public  works  and  finance,  likewise,  have 
calculated  to  a  nicety  the  sum  from  taxation  that 
will  come  into  the  public  treasury  through  the 
country's  augmented  productiveness. 

Subordinate  to  the  great  dam,  a  smaller  one,  not 
unlike  the  barrage  at  the  apex  of  the  Delta,  ten 
miles  to  the  north  of  Cairo,  is  to  be  made  at  As- 
siut.  Its  function  will  be  to  give  sufiicient  head  to 
the  river  to  force  the  water  into  the  system  of  irri- 
gation canals  that  veins  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
acres  between  Assiut  and  Cairo.  The  completion 
of  the  Cairo  barrage  so  develoj^ed  cotton-culture  as 
to  add  to  the  public  revenue  of  the  countiy  at  least 
ten  million  dollars  annually.  It  may  safely  be  con- 
cluded that  the  Assuan  reservoir  is  but  one  of  a 
series  which  will  in  time  be  constructed  south- 
ward to  Berber,  Khartum,  and  perhaps  the  Victoria 
Nyanza.    The  reestablishment  of  khedival  author- 

146 


Expansion  by  Irrigation 

ity  at  Khartum  practically  determined  this,  as  it 
means  that  in  time  the  Sudan  provinces  will  be 
important  grain-exporters. 

The  agricultural  industry  that  will  be  chiefly 
benefited  by  the  Assuan  reservoir  and  the  tribu- 
tary weir  at  Assiut  is  cane-culture.  With  Cuba's 
productiveness  greatly  impaired  as  a  result  of  the 
prolonged  strife  in  the  island,  the  opening  years 
of  the  twentieth  century  are  considered  propitious 
for  doubling  or  trebling  Egypt's  output  of  raw 
sugar.  The  Nile  cane  is  of  such  exceptional  qual- 
ity that  much  European  capital  has  been  invested 
in  its  cultivation,  while  crushing-factories  have 
gone  up  on  the  river's  banks  as  if  by  magic. 

No  subject  is  receiving  wider  attention  at  this 
time  than  that  of  territorial  expansion.  Great 
Britain,  as  well  as  France,  Germany,  and  Eussia,  is 
yearly  pressing  forward  its  domain  in  Africa  or 
Asia,  preceded  by  the  soldier  or  explorer ;  and  the 
fortunes  of  war  have  carried  the  Stars  and  Stripes 
oversea,  and  brought  numerous  islands  as  well  as 
an  Asiatic  archipelago  under  administrative  gui- 
dance from  Washington. 

But  the  triumph  of  practical  science,  such  as  irri- 
gation, bearing  no  relation  to  the  sword  or  diplo- 
macy, which  turns  a  single  acre  of  desert  sand  into 
a  productive  field,  must  be  a  thousandfold  more 
valuable  to  the  world  than  the  victory  of  arms  that 
merely  changes  a  frontier  or  deprives  a  defeated 
nation  of  a  single  foot  of  soil :  it  is  the  victory  of 
peace ;  it  is  creation.  As  a  method  of  making  terri- 
tory, it  is  one  over  which  statesmen  can  never  differ. 

H7 


Present-Day  Egypt 

Old  Egypt  is  now  so  fairly  in  step  with  the  march 
of  progress  as  to  be  attracting  the  attention  of  the 
civilized  world.  Irrigation  is  the  lever  of  this  prog- 
ress— the  irrigation  of  definite  science,  rather  than 
of  chance  or  guesswork ;  and  the  move  to  harness 
the  Nile  and  compel  it  to  surrender  its  magical 
richness  to  the  soil  is  a  project  that  will  be  watched 
by  millions  of  students  of  utilitarianism.  Stated 
simply,  it  means  the  increase  of  the  country's  pro- 
ductive capacity  by  twenty-five  per  cent.,  bringing, 
as  it  will,  considerable  stretches  of  desert  soil  within 
the  limits  of  cultivation,  while  vast  sections  of 
land  already  arable  will  be  rendered  capable  of  pro- 
ducing two,  if  not  three,  crops  in  the  year,  by  hav- 
ing "summer  water"  supplied  to  the  thirsting 
ground. 

As  shown  in  another  chapter,  the  Egypt  of  the 
map  contains  more  than  four  hundred  thousand 
square  miles,  an  expanse  seven  times  as  great  as 
New  England ;  but  the  practical  Egypt— that  which 
produces  crops  and  sustains  life— is  considerably 
less  than  the  States  of  Massachusetts  and  Connec- 
ticut united.  This  is  the  ribbon-like  strip  of  alluvial 
land  bordering  the  Nile,  a  few  miles  wide  on  each 
side,  and  measuring  not  more  than  ten  thousand 
five  hundred  square  miles.  The  extension  planned, 
and  to  be  completed  in  the  next  six  or  eight  years, 
wholly  by  irrigation,  is  no  less  magnificent  in  con- 
ception than  the  rescuing  from  the  Libyan  and 
Arabian  deserts  of  twenty-five  hundred  square 
miles,  or  twice  the  area  of  Rhode  Island.  This  will 
be  exploitation  in  its  truest  sense,  and  its  accom- 

148 


Expansion  by  Irrigation 

plishment  will  be  a  verification  of  the  ancient  say- 
ing that  "  Egypt  is  the  Nile,  and  the  Nile  is  Egypt." 

As  an  object-lesson,  this  Egyptian  enterprise 
should  have  no  more  interested  observers  than  in 
America,  especially  in  Colorado,  Nevada,  Califor- 
nia, and  other  States  of  the  West,  where  the  irriga- 
tion expert  is  succeeding  the  railway-builder  as  a 
developer. 

British  contractors  have  agreed  that  the  dam 
that  is  to  "hold  up"  the  historic  river  on  which 
Cleopatra  floated  in  her  gilded  barge,  and  on  which 
Moses  was  cradled,  will  be  completed  by  July  1, 
1903.  It  will  be  built  of  granite  ashler,  much  of 
which  will  be  quarried  from  the  Assuan  side  of 
the  river,  coming  from  the  ledges  that  furnished 
the  obelisks  that  now  stand  in  Central  Park  in  New 
York,  and  on  London's  Thames  Embankment,  and 
in  the  Place  de  la  Concorde  in  Paris.  It  will  be  sev- 
enty-six feet  high  in  places,  and  with  its  approaches 
nearly  a  mile  and  a  quarter  long.  The  difference 
in  water-level  above  and  below  the  dam  will  be 
forty-six  feet ;  and  the  top  of  the  structure,  thirty 
or  forty  feet  in  width,  will  give  bridge  facilities  to 
pedestrians,  camel-trains,  and  other  traffic  of  the 
region.  It  may  interest  arithmeticians  to  know 
that  it  is  estimated  that  a  thousand  million  tons 
of  water  can  be  stored  in  the  reservoir. 

The  laying  of  the  foundation- block,  of  syenite 
granite  and  weighing  several  tons,  was  an  impres- 
sive function.  Queen  Victoria's  third  son,  his 
Royal  Highness  the  Duke  of  Connaught,  performed 
the  office  with  rule,  level,  mallet,  and  silver  trowel, 

15^ 


Present-Day  Egypt 

surrounded  by  many  distinguished  personages,  in- 
cluding his  amiable  duchess ;  Fakhry  Pasha,  Egyp- 
tian minister  of  public  works;  Mr.  John  Aird, 
member  of  the  British  Parliament,  who  is  the  chief 
contractor  for  the  work;  and  representatives  of 
several  branches  of  the  Anglo-Egyptian  administra- 
tion. A  guard  of  honor  was  furnished  by  Egyptian 
troops.  The  following  inscription  is  chiseled  on  the 
face  of  the  stone : 

H.  H.  Abbas  Hilmi,  Khedive. 


This  Foundation-Stone 

was  laid  by 

H.  R.  H.  The  Duke  of  Connaught, 

12th  February,  1899. 


H.  E.  Hussein  Fakhry  Pasha, 
Minister  of  PubHc  Works. 

After  the  laying  of  the  stone,  the  Duke  of  Con- 
naught  sent  the  following  telegram  to  the  khedive, 
which  he  wrote  on  the  stone  itself:  "Ha\ang  this 
moment  completed  the  laying  of  the  foundation- 
stone  of  the  great  dam  here  at  the  request  of  your 
Highness,  I  telegraph  my  warmest  congratulations 
on  the  occasion  of  Bairam.  Akthuk."  A  telegram 
was  likewise  sent  to  the  Queen,  informing  her 
Majesty  that  the  great  work  had  been  formally 
commenced.  The  official  party  subsequently  pro- 
ceeded across  the  cataract  to  take  refreshments, 
and  see  natives  swim  the  rapids.  The  following 
day  the  duke  and  duchess  continued  their  voyage 

152 


Expansion  by  Irrigation 

to  Wady-Half  a,  and  later  to  Omdurman  and  Khar- 
tum. 

The  contractors  present  what  looks  like  a  moder- 
ate bill.  They  are  to  receive  eight  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars  a  year  for  thirty  years,  aggregating 
about  twenty-four  million  dollars.  As  an  incentive 
for  them  to  live  up  to  their  agreement,  the  first 
payment  by  the  Egyptian  government  is  not  to  be 
made  until  the  work  is  completed  and  accepted. 
The  credit  is  a  long  one,  certainly,  and  its  present 
actuarial  value  cannot  be  much  in  excess  of  ten 
million  dollars.  The  ability  of  Egypt  to  make  such 
a  favorable  contract,  by  which  she  apparently  takes 
little  risk,  and  is  to  pay  away  each  year  only  a 
portion  of  the  sum  the  reservoir  brings  to  her 
exchequer,  reflects  the  enviable  position  of  her 
national  credit.  The  transaction  may  further  be 
taken  as  an  earnest  of  Great  Britain's  intention  to 
retain  indefinitely  her  grasp  upon  the  land  of  the 
Pharaohs.  English  engineers  and  surveyors  and  a 
horde  of  native  laborers  have  for  months  been  at 
work  at  Assuan.  A  single  order  for  three  million 
barrels  of  cement  is  being  filled  from  Europe. 

For  years  Sir  William  Grarstin,  Mr.  Willcocks, 
and  other  English  engineers  in  the  khedival  ser- 
vice have  strenuously  advocated  the  creation  of  one 
or  more  reservoirs  that  would  give  perennial  irri- 
gation to  Egypt.  Experts  of  other  nations  have 
been  called  into  consul tatioD,  and  all  admitted 
the  feasibility  of  the  project,  but  they  were  not  at 
first  in  accord  as  to  the  location  of  the  principal  dam. 
They  were  agreed  that  the  natural  advantages  of 


Present-Day  Egypt 

the  Assuan  site,  with  its  bed  of  syenite  granite 
beneath  the  river,  the  conformation  of  the  sur- 
rounding country,  and  the  inexhaustible  supply  of 
stone  near  by,  offered  advantages  approached  by 
no  other  location. 

A  situation  thirty  miles  south,  at  Kalabsheh,  was 
favored  by  some ;  but  the  structure  proposed,  ne- 
cessarily resting  on  a  foundation  of  crumbly  sand- 
stone, could  not  be  regarded  as  permanent  or  as 
safe  as  if  it  rested  on  a  foundation  of  granite.  The 
Silsila  Gate,  fifty  miles  north  of  Assuan,  having 
the  same  underlying  sandstone,  was  rejected  as  a 
site  on  the  ground  of  insecurity.  A  dam  there, 
besides,  would  submerge  the  temple  at  Kom- 
Ombos,  as  well  as  a  good  part  of  the  town  of  As- 
suan. Hence  all  the  engineers  in  the  end  favored 
damming  the  Nile  at  the  first  cataract,  at  a  point 
about  four  miles  south  of  Assuan,  and  not  far 
from  the  island  of  Philse.  There  nature  has  been 
lavish  in  providing  hills  of  solid  rock  on  each  side 
of  the  river  that  will  stand  the  ravages  of  the  ele- 
ments as  long  as  the  world  lasts. 

Little  time  was  wasted  in  the  preparation  of  the 
original  plans  for  the  dam.  But  the  officials  hav- 
ing the  matter  in  charge,  intent  only  on  the  utili- 
tarian aspect  of  the  problem,  brought  about  their 
heads,  four  or  five  years  ago,  a  wide-spread  outburst 
of  indignation,  when  it  was  announced  that  the 
treasured  ruins  of  Philae  would  be  submerged  for 
months  at  a  time,  were  their  recommendations  car- 
ried into  effect.  Meetings  were  held  by  learned 
societies  everywhere  to  protest  against  any  desecra- 

154 


LOG-SWIMMIXG  DU^VN  THE  ASSUAN  CATARACT. 


Expansion  by  Irrigation 

tion  of  PMlaB,  and  their  memorials  besieged  the 
Egyptian  government  for  months.  From  every 
country  in  Europe,  from  the  United  States,  and 
from  the  centers  of  learning  in  the  East,  antiqua- 
rians, Egyptologists,  archaeologists,  and  literary 
people  generally,  joined  in  vigorous  protest.  The 
late  Sir  Frederick  Leighton,  president  of  England's 
Royal  Academy,  did  not  hesitate  to  say  that  "  any 
tampering  with  Philae  would  be  a  lasting  blot  on 
the  British  occupation  of  Egypt."  This  stinging 
remark  brought  the  subject  into  the  realm  of  Brit- 
ish politics,  and  did  as  much  as  all  the  protests  to 
cause  the  too  practical  plans  of  the  English  en- 
gineers to  be  held  in  abeyance  until  a  modified 
project,  conciliating  archaeological  interests  with 
engineering  necessities,  could  be  devised. 

To  silence  their  critics,  if  possible,  the  engineers 
proposed  many  makeshift  plans,  some  of  which 
displaj^ed  surprising  ingenuity.  Sir  Benjamin 
Baker,  of  Manchester  Canal  fame,  favored  the  rais- 
ing of  the  island,  as  a  whole,  some  twelve  feet,  and 
offered  to  do  it  for  a  million  dollars,  guaranteeing 
its  safe  accomplishment.  Another  gravely  pro- 
posed that  the  temple  of  Isis,  pylons  and  all,  be 
moved  to  a  neighboring  and  higher  island  and  re- 
erected,  and  submitted  a  proposal  for  the  contract. 
Still  another  recommended  building  a  caisson  of 
masonry  around  the  island,  that  would  protect  it 
from  flood,  but  make  it  necessary  to  descend  a 
flight  of  stairs  to  view  the  buildings,  themselves  so 
artistic  that  people  travel  great  distances  to  admire 
them. 

^S7 


Present-Day  Egypt 

The  proposal  to  remove  Pliil^e  stone  by  stone 
was  too  fantastic  even  for  the  pen  of  a  Jules  Verne. 
An  American  writer  suggested  that  if  Philae's  won- 
drous structures  were  to  be  disturbed  at  all,  they 
should  be  floated  six  hundred  miles  down  the  Nile 
and  reerected  in  Cairo.  This,  the  writer  urged, 
would  bring  to  the  doors  of  the  tourists'  hotels  one 
of  Egypt's  greatest  attractions,  and  carry  business 
enterprise  to  its  utmost  extent.  This  bit  of  sarcasm 
had  its  effect. 

The  publicity  given  to  these  absurd  proposals 
caused  scholarly  Europe  and  America  again  to  pro- 
test against  the  threatened  vandalism,  and  a  tor- 
rent of  newspaper  invective  was  hurled  at  Britain's 
rule  of  Egyptian  affairs, which  threatened  to  destroy 
one  of  the  world's  most  precious  gems  in  order 
that  European  holders  of  Egyptian  bonds  might  be 
more  certain  of  their  interest  and  security.  The 
reservoir  project  was  now  in  danger  of  drifting  into 
European  politics,  and  it  was  wisely  concluded  in 
Cairo  and  London  to  let  the  matter  drop  from  pub- 
lic notice  for  a  few  years. 

"  What  is  a  useless  temple,"  asked  engineers,  "  in 
comparison  with  a  work  involving  the  welfare  of 
millions  of  human  beings  ? "  "  Are  sordid  commer- 
cial motives,"  replied  archaeologists,  "to  override 
everything  artistic  in  the  world,  and  is  a  priceless 
monument  of  antiquity  to  be  lost  to  civilization 
that  a  few  more  fellaheen,  already  prosperous,  may 
grow  more  cotton  and  sugar  and  grain  ? "  "  Why 
must  the  Philistine  come  to  Philae  at  all  ? "  inquired 
sentimentalists  everywhere. 


Expansion  by  Irrigation 

With  these  conflicting  claims  to  reconcile,  the 
engineers  wf^re  compelled  to  weigh  the  pros  and 
cons  of  their  project  in  every  aspect  before  again 
testing  public  opinion.  That  they  succeeded  in 
their  task  is  shown  by  the  general  approval  of 
their  modified  scheme,  by  which  the  dam  is  to  be 
but  two  thirds  as  high  as  at  first  proposed.  A  head 
of  forty-six  feet  of  water  satisfies  the  engineers, 
and  does  not  alarm  the  archaeologists ;  for,  although 
submerging  portions  of  the  island,  it  leaves  the 
temple,  pylons,  and  prized  sculptures  fairly  above 
water-level. 

When  the  builders  have  finished  their  labors,  vis- 
itors to  Upper  Egypt  can  never  realize  the  present 
beauty  of  Philse.  The  Isis  temple,  the  chapel  of 
Hathor,  the  Diocletian  portal,  one  of  the  legendary 
graves  of  Osiris,  the  well-preserved  pavilion  called 
"  Pharaoh's  Bed,"— the  designer  of  which  was  no 
stranger  to  Greek  art,  and  within  whose  walls  thou- 
sands of  tourists  have  partaken  of  their  midday 
luncheon, — will  all  be  there,  like  jewels  wrenched 
from  glorious  settings.  The  structures  will  rise 
from  a  placid  lake,  deprived  of  the  graceful  eleva- 
tion and  artistic  symmetry  that  add  much  to  their 
fame. 

Confessedly  PhilaB  will  be  impaired  artistically, 
for  it  is  safe  to  assume  that  the  zealous  engineers 
understate  the  extent  of  the  submergence.  A 
scientific  English  observer,  who  studied  the  subject 
at  close  quarters, — from  the  island  itself, — says: 
"  The  four  great  pylons  will,  of  course,  stand  up 
out  of  the  new  lake,  but  its  waters  will  rise  to  their 

159 


Present-Day  Egypt 


floors.  The  splendid  Nilometer  will  be  utterly 
swallowed  up.  The  colonnade  of  the  temple  of 
Nectanebo  will  be  under  water  most  of  the  year, 
and  I  fear  the  structures  at  its  ends  will  tumble 
into  the  reservoir,  as  there  are  already  cracks  in 
the  foundation-walls." 

It  is  not  the  native  population  that  deplores  the 
disappearance  of  the  antique  and  the  picturesque, 
for  the  modern  Egyptian  has  no  appreciation  for 
the  ancient  or  his  works.  To  his  feelings  the  mag- 
nitude of  the  Pyramids  and  the  mystery  of  the 
Sphinx  make  no  appeal.  The  only  value  of  the 
priceless  antiquities  of  the  Nile  valley  to  the  fellah 
or  Bedouin  is  to  bring  in  piasters.  The  ruthless 
hands  that  stripped  the  pyramid  of  Cheops  of  its 
outer  casing  to  deck  a  mosque  in  Cairo  would  not 
spare  Karnak  or  Philse.  After  all,  Philse's  remains, 
noble  as  they  are,  appear  comparatively  young  be- 
side many  of  the  monuments  of  this  hoary  land. 
They  do  not,  it  is  said,  go  as  far  back  as  300  b.  c. 
Pharaoh's  Bed  was  really  built  in  Roman  times, 
though,  presumably,  by  native  architects. 

Standing  without  meaning  upon  a  wide  stretch 
of  mirroring  water,  Philce  will  completely  lose  its 
character,  and  can  no  longer  be  the  stately  sentinel 
guarding  the  natural  boundary  between  Nubia  and 
Egypt.  The  artist's  dahabiyeh,  drawn  well  up  on 
the  strand  beneath  Pharaoh's  Bed,  can  never  again 
give  a  touch  of  color  to  the  scene.  Nor  can  the 
patriarchal  sheik  of  the  cataract  load  his  clumsy 
boats  at  the  point  of  the  island  with  tourists  suffi- 
ciently courageous  to  "shoot  the  rapids"  on  the 

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Expansion  by  Irrigation 

way  back  to  their  steamers  or  hotel  at  Assuan. 
The  making  of  the  dam  will  force  the  nude  popula- 
tion of  the  region  to  prosecute  their  amphibious 
pursuits  elsewhere— most  likely  in  eddying  rapids 
farther  down-stream.  But  the  daring  soul  who  has 
"  shot "  what  will  remain  of  the  cataract  will,  as  of 
old,  be  landed  on  the  bank  at  Assuan  to  the  re- 
sounding "Heep,  heep,  hooray!  Zank  you,  zank 
you ! "  of  his  crew  of  black  rowers,  whom  he  will 
liberally  bakshish  while  yet  believing  himself  a 
hero. 

The  American  sun-seeker  or  English  milord, 
making  the  voyage  to  Wady-Halfa  by  his  own 
dahabiyeh,  will  no  longer  have  his  craft  hauled  up 
the  Assuan  cataract  by  a  hundred  shrieking  Arabs 
and  Berberins,  for  most  likely  it  will  be  taken  up 
the  rapids  and  through  the  locks  by  electricity 
generated  by  the  rushing  Nile  itself.  Indeed,  a 
practical  Britisher  is  in  the  field  for  utilizing  the 
cataract's  force  for  electrically  lighting  Assuan  and 
propelling  irrigating  machinery  for  a  hundred  miles 
or  more  down-stream,  to  the  possible  relief  of  the 
familiar  shadoof  and  creaking  sakieh. 

The  Assuan  structure  will  differ  in  several  re- 
spects from  any  great  dam  hitherto  built.  In 
the  first  place,  none  for  impounding  water  has 
ever  been  made  on  any  river  approaching  the  size 
of  the  Nile ;  and,  in  the  second  place,  it  is  to  be 
both  dam  and  waterway,  a  conjunction  exceedingly 
difficult  to  effect.  To  confine  Father  Nile  in  flood- 
time  would  be  hopeless,  and  therefore  the  river 
must  be  allowed  to  run  unimpeded  through  the  dam 

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during  several  months  of  the  year.  As  soon  as 
the  flood  subsides,  but  while  the  discharge  is  still 
greater  than  can  be  at  once  used  for  irrigation,  the 
water  will  be  retained  for  use  during  the  parching 
summer  months.  For  this  purpose  the  structure 
will  be  divided  into  a  large  number  of  piers,  with 
openings  that  can  be  closed  at  will  by  gates. 

Each  pier  must  be  capable  of  supporting  its  own 
weight  and  the  pressure  of  water  against  the  ad- 
joining sluice-gates,  and  the  piers  must  be  able  to 
pass  the  torrent  without  damage.  At  times  the 
velocity  of  the  escaping  flood-water  will  be  very 
great ;  consequently  the  piers  are  to  be  enormously 
massive.  The  locks  for  steamers  and  other  craft 
navigating  the  Nile  will  be  on  the  west  side. 

It  being  the  particles  of  soil  contributed  to  the 
river  by  the  wash  of  the  mountains  and  hills  in 
Abyssinia  that  enrich  the  fields,  the  dam  will  be  so 
designed  that  the  water  released  daily,  during  low 
Nile,  will  be  drawn  from  near  the  bottom  of  the 
reservoir.  Egyptian  farmers  prize  the  "  red  water," 
which  is  vastly  richer  in  fertilizing  value  than  clear 
water  can  be.  In  the  autumn,  after  the  silt-laden 
water  has  passed  off,  the  sluice-gates  will  be  closed 
gradually  until  the  reservoir  is  full,  which,  with 
normal  conditions,  will  be  in  January  and  Febru- 
ary. From  April  to  the  end  of  August,  when  the 
Nile  runs  low,  and  the  demand  for  water  for  the 
crops  is  at  its  highest,  the  gates  will  be  systemati- 
cally opened,  and  the  summer  supply  of  the  river 
supplemented  by  the  water,  which,  had  it  not  been 
stored,  would  have  flowed  uselessly  into  the  Medi- 

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Expansion  by  Irrigation 

terranean.  Thus  Middle  Egypt  and  the  Delta  will 
secure  more  or  less  perennial  irrigation. 
;:,  ^  The  Nile,  the  only  river  of  Egypt,  has  a  length 
"^  of  4062  miles,  and  is  thus  exceeded  only  by  the 
Mississippi,  having  a  length  of  4112  miles.  At 
Cairo  the  river  is  eleven  hundred  yards  in  breadth. 
After  the  confluence  of  the  Blue  and  White  Niles 
at  Khartum,  it  receives  but  one  tributary,  the 
Atbara.  In  Egypt  proper  the  great  river  has  no 
affluent  and  is  contributed  to  in  no  way.  The 
most  important  of  the  outlets  of  the  Nile  is  Joseph's 
Canal  (the  Bahr  Youssef),  that  leaves  the  river 
near  Girgeh,  and  for  two  hundred  and  twenty  miles 
follows  along  the  foot  of  the  Libyan  chain  of  hills, 
finally  entering  the  Fayum  and  fertilizing  this 
fruitful  oasis,  its  own  creation,  in  numerous  ramifi- 
cations. In  the  Delta  the  most  important  canal  is 
the  Mahmudiyeh,  built  by  Mehemet  Ali  in  1823.  It 
connects  the  Rosetta  arm  with  the  harbor  of  Alex- 
andria. 
-y.  At  Assuan  the  Nile  is  three  hundred  and  thirty 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean.  From 
Assuan  to  Cairo  the  fall  is  a  trifle  under  five  inches 
in  the  mile,  and  from  Cairo  to  the  sea  the  fall  aver- 
ages nearly  an  inch  to  the  mile. 

To  equalize  the  distribution  of  the  Nile  water 
among  cultivators,  the  whole  country  devoted  to 
■  agriculture  is  divided  by  low  earthwork  dams  into 
large  fields,  to  which  the  water  is  conducted  by 
^  canals.  Lands  that  cannot  be  reached  by  the  over- 
flow of  the  canals  have  to  be  mechanically  irrigated. 
To  do  this  the  small  proprietor  lifts  the  water  from 

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r 


the  river  or  canal  with  the  primitive  shadoof 
operated  by  hand,  bnt  the  important  landowner  in 
these  days  employs  cattle  or  steam-power. 

It  was  determined  by  the  explorations  of  Speke, 
Grant,  and  Baker  that  the  rainfall  of  the  equatorial 
region  of  Africa  supplies  the  Victoria  and  Albert 
lakes,  and  that  the  overflow  of  these  gives  sufficient 
volume  to  support  the  Nile  throughout  its  north- 
ward course  of  thirty  degrees  of  latitude,  crossing 
arid  sands  and  burning  deserts,  until  it  reaches  the 
Mediterranean. 

It  might  at  first  sight  appear  that  the  discovery 
of  the  Nile's  sources  had  completely  solved  the 
mystery  of  ages,  and  proved  the  fertility  of  Egypt 
to  be  dependent  upon  the  rainfall  of  the  equator 
concentrated  in  the  Victoria  Nyanza  and  Albert 
Nyanza ;  but  the  exploration  of  the  Nile  tributaries 
of  Abyssinia  divides  the  Nile  system  into  two 
parts,  and  unravels  the  entire  mystery  of  the  river 
by  assigning  to  each  its  share  in  ministering  to  the 
prosperity  of  Egypt. 

The  lake  sources  maintain  the  life  of  Egypt  by 
supplying  a  stream  throughout  all  seasons  that  has 
sufficient  volume  to  support  the  exhaustion  of 
evaporation  and  absorption;  but  this  stream  un- 
aided could  never  overflow  its  banks,  and  Egypt, 
deprived  of  the  annual  inundation,  would  be  forced 
to  exist  with  the  cultivation  of  the  circumscribed 
area  immediately  bordering  the  great  river. 

The  two  great  affluents  of  Abyssinia  are  the  Blue 
Nile  and  the  Atbara  (called  by  the  natives  Bahr- 
al-Aswad,   or  the   Black   Nile),   which,   although 

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Expansion  by  Irrigation 

streams  of  unusual  grandeur  during  the  period  of 
Abyssinian  rains,  from  the  middle  of  June  until 
September,  are  reduced  to  insignificance  during 
the  dry  months.  Then,  the  water-supply  from 
Abyssinia  having  ceased,  Egypt  is  forced  to  depend 
solely  upon  the  equatorial  lakes  and  the  affluents 
of  the  White  Nile  until  the  rainy  season  shall  have 
again  flooded  the  two  great  Abyssinian  arteries. 
That  flood  occurs  about  the  20th  of  June,  and  the 
rush  of  water  pouring  down  the  Blue  Nile  and  the 
Atbara  into  the  main  channel  inundates  Egypt,  and 
is  the  cause  of  its  magical  fertility.  Not  only  is 
the  inundation  the  effect  of  the  Abyssinian  rains, 
but  the  deposit  of  mud  that  has  formed  the  Delta, 
and  which  is  annually  precipitated  by  the  rising 
waters,  is  also  due  to  the  Abyssinian  streams, 
chiefly  to  the  Atbara,  which  carries  a  larger  pro- 
portion of  soil  than  any  other  tributary  of  the 
Nile.  Therefore  to  the  Atbara,— spanned  by  an 
American-built  railroad-bridge,  by  the  way,— above 
all  other  rivers,  must  the  wealth  and  fertility  of 
Egypt  be  attributed.  In  writing  of  his  Nile  ex- 
plorations. Baker  employed  this  happy  description :  ^ 
f  "  The  equatorial  lakes  feed  Egypt,  but  the  Abyssin-  J 
^   ian  rivers  cause  the  immdationy  I 

There  is  a  fascination  in  the  unchangeable  fea- 
tures of  the  Nile  region.  There  are  the  Pyramids 
and  Sphinx  that  have  defied  time ;  the  sandy  des- 
erts through  which  Moses  led  his  people,  and  the 
watering-places  where  their  flocks  were  led  to 
drink.  There  is  no  change  in  these ;  and  the  poor 
people  who  dwell  in  Nubia  and  Upper  Egypt  on  the 

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banks  of  the  melancholy  river  rolling  toward  the 
sea  in  the  cloudless  glare  of  a  tropical  sun,  to-day 
as  thousands  of  years  ago,  snatch  every  sand-bank 
from  the  receding  stream,  and  plant  melons,  beans, 
and  other  articles  of  their  simple  diet.  Not  an  inch 
of  available  soil  is  lost;  and  day  by  day,  as  the 
stream  decreases  in  spring  and  summer,  fresh  rows 
of  vegetables  are  sown  upon  the  newly  acquired 
land. 

In  Middle  and  Lower  Egypt,  the  soil,  created  by 
the  deposits  of  the  great  river  and  ever  fertilized 
by  it,  is  perhaps  the  richest  in  the  world,  and  is 
tilled  with  such  ease  and  certain  results  as  cannot 
fail  to  excite  the  envy  of  the  traveling  American. 
The  Egyptian  peasant  is  by  instinct  at  once  farmer 
and  irrigation  expert.  With  the  rudest  of  wooden 
plows,  a  mattock,  and  a  well-sweep  water-hoisting 
shadoof,  his  labors  are  blessed  with  a  success  im- 
possible to  tillers  of  the  soil  elsewhere. 

From  ages  before  the  beginnings  of  history  down 
to  the  reign  of  Mehemet  Ali,  all  Egypt  followed  but 
one  rule  of  cultivation.  The  land  was  saturated  in 
the  flood  season  with  the  fertilizing  waters  of  the 
great  river,  and  when  the  flood  abated  the  seed 
was  sown  in  the  ooze,  and  the  result  was  a  single 
harvest  of  great  abundance.  Mehemet  Ali  revolu- 
tionized this  system  in  the  Delta.  He  introduced 
the  cultivation  of  cotton  and  sugar,  and  the  system 
of  perennial  irrigation  which  these  highly  profitable 
crops  require. 

•  Nature  made  the  Delta;  all  that  man  did  was 
to  construct  the  canals  that  distribute  the  water.     ^ 

170  y^ 


Expansion  by  Irrigation 

It  has  been  computed  that  more  than  half  of  the 
Nile,  with  its  priceless  sediment,  pours  into  the 
Mediterranean.  In  other  words,  water  and  soil 
enough  to  create  many  Egypts  run  to  waste.  Much 
of  this  loss  will  always  be  inevitable,  naturally. 
Napoleon  had  no  sooner  seen  the  Nile  at  Cairo  than 
he  suggested  a  dam  to  hold  back  the  surplus  waters 
and  irrigate  a  larger  area.  Lord  Nelson  and  Gen- 
eral Abercrombie  cut  short  Napoleon's  plans  for 
administering  Egypt;  but  his  scheme  for  irrigat- 
ing the  Delta  had  been  published,  and  forty  years 
later,  in  1837,  the  construction  of  the  great  barrage 
near  Cairo,  at  the  point  where  the  Rosetta  and 
Damietta  branches  of  the  Nile  bifurcate  and  their 
arms  inclose  the  Delta,  was  begun  from  plans  by 
Mougel  Bey,  a  Frenchman.  It  took  twenty-four 
years  to  construct  it,  and  then  it  was  not  a  success, 
for  the  first  time  it  was  tried  the  force  of  the 
dammed-up  water  was  too  great  for  the  masonry, 
which  really  rested  on  a  foundation  of  mud. 

I  overheard  an  amusing  conversation  one  day  at 
the  barrage.  The  engineer  in  charge  was  explain- 
ing the  importance  of  the  structure  to  a  British 
tourist,  who  apparently  never  permitted  his  patri- 
otic ardor  to  slumber  when  away  from  home. 
"  Yes,  it  's  a  great  work,"  said  he,  "  and  these  for- 
eigners ought  to  better  appreciate  what  we  are 
doing  for  their  good.  This  thing  has  put  them 
on  their  feet  financially,  sure  enough ;  but  I  don't 
believe  they  feel  any  gratitude  for  our  having 
built  it."  "  I  beg  your  pardon,"  replied  the  gentle 
representative  of  the  khedival  government,  "but 

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Present-Day  Egypt 

it  was  designed  and  built  by  French  engineers." 
"  Was  it! "  ejaculated  the  visitor  in  sun-helmet  and 
pugree.  "  I  did  n't  know  that.  Well,  anyway,  they 
have  to  get  an  Englishman  to  take  care  of  it !  "  "I 
beg  your  pardon  again,"  was  the  polite  response  of 
Liuener  Bey,  D.  P.  W. ;  "  I  have  the  honor  of  being 
a  native-born  American  citizen."  The  contretemps 
was  of  short  duration,  and  as  the  touring  Albion 
took  his  leave  he  remarked,  with  a  twinkle  in  his 
eye :  "  I  'm  going  back  to  Shepheard's  before  some 
one  tells  me  that  Frenchmen  built  those  Pyramids 
over  there." 

It  was  the  countrymen  of  the  gentleman  of  the 
sun-helmet,  however,  that  made  the  barrage  safe 
and  effective.  Its  failure  could  not  properly  be  laid 
at  the  door  of  Mougel,  nevertheless,  for  Mehemet 
Ali  furnished  him  little  or  no  support  in  the  way 
of  intelligent  labor.  It  is  probable  that  the  foun- 
dations intended  by  so  talented  a  man  as  Mougel 
would  have  been  properly  laid  had  skilled  work- 
men been  employed ;  but  he  was  allowed  only  half- 
starved  fellaheen,  receiving  no  pay.  When  the 
work  was  delayed,  extra  thousands  of  natives  would 
be  pressed  into  service,  only  to  spoil  what  had 
already  been  done,  it  is  told.  Millions  of  tons  of 
stone  and  gravel  were  thrown  into  the  river,  and 
on  this  unreliable  basis  was  piled  the  vast  dike 
of  masonry,  pierced  by  one  hundred  and  twenty 
arches.  Mehemet  Ali  died  before  it  was  finished, 
and  his  successors  carried  the  work  forward  in  the 
most  desultory  manner,  until,  in  18G1,  it  was  de- 
clared completed.    Two  years  later  the  structure 

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Expansion  by  Irrigation 

would  have  been  swept  away  had  not  the  sluices 
been  quickly  raised.  From  1863  until  it  was  taken 
in  hand  by  Sir  Colin  Moncrieff  and  Mr.  Willcocks 
in  1884,  it  was  called  upon  to  perform  but  a  frac- 
tion of  the  duty  for  which  it  was  planned.  By 
reason  of  Moncrieff's  genius,  the  dam  was  in  a  few 
years  rendered  safe,  and  much  of  the  prosperity  of 
the  Delta  in  these  times  is  due  to  his  triumph. 

If  tradition  be  correct,  Mougel  Bey's  quick  wit 
saved  the  Gizeh  Pyramids  from  destruction. 
When  he  went  to  Mehemet  Ali  to  be  told  where 
the  stones  for  the  barrage  were  to  come  from,  the 
viceroy  said :  "  You  have  those  great  useless  heaps 
of  stone ;  use  them  up,  every  block  if  need  be,  for 
the  purpose."  The  engineer,  knowing  what  odium 
would  attach  to  his  name  if  he  agreed  to  this  prop- 
osition, asked  for  a  few  days  to  make  calculations. 
His  autocratic  master  would  give  but  one  day. 
When  the  engineer  again  appeared  he  said  the 
cost  of  transporting  the  stone  from  the  Pyramids 
would  be  greater  than  to  quarry  it  anew  in  the 
hills.  "  Then  let  the  Pyramids  stay,  and  quarry 
new  stone,"  said  the  tyrant,  and  the  monuments 
were  saved. 

The  added  irrigation  resulting  from  the  Assuan 
reservoir,  it  has  been  computed,  will  permanently 
benefit  Egypt  fully  one  hundred  million  dollars. 
A  direct  annual  return  to  the  revenue  of  two  mil- 
lion dollars— more  than  twice  the  sum  to  be  paid 
each  year  to  the  firm  building  the  dam— from  sale 
of  water  and  taxation  on  lands  that  will  be  rendered 
fruitful  is  promised.     The  government  will  fur- 

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Present-Day  Egypt 


ther  realize  considerable  sums  from  the  sale  of 
reclaimed  public  lands,  and  indirect  revenues  trace- 
able to  the  country's  augmented  producing  capa- 
city. The  customs  and  railways  are  certain  to  show 
large  increases,  and  the  reservoir  will  thus  add 
considerably  to  the  security  behind  Egyptian  bonds 
of  all  classes. 

The  British  diplomatic  agent  in  Egypt,  Lord 
Cromer,  has  recently  had  something  to  say  on  the 
financial  aspects  of  the  reservoir  measure,  as  at 
first  sight  it  might  appear  a  somewhat  hazard- 
ous undertaking  to  increase  the  liabilities  of  the 
Egyptian  treasury  while  development  of  the  Su- 
dan is  only  entered  upon.  It  is  Lord  Cromer's 
belief  that  the  expenditure  of  capital  to  improve 
the  water-supply,  thereby  increasing  the  revenue, 
affords  the  best  and  most  certain  way  out  of  the 
pecuniary  difficulties  attending  the  reoccupation  of 
the  Sudan.  As  regards  the  views  of  the  native 
population  concerning  the  Assuan  reservoir,  he  in- 
formed his  government  that  he  had  never  before 
known  a  measure  to  be  received  with  such  unani- 
mous approbation;  and  Lord  Cromer  knows,  for 
the  new  Egypt  is  largely  his  creation. 

There  is  a  legend  that  the  yearly  flooding  of  the 
Nile  is  caused  by  the  tears  shed  by  Isis  over  the 
tomb  of  Osiris,  and  the  question  has  for  uncounted 
centuries  been  asked  as  a  type  of  impossibility, 
"Can  man  arrest  the  tears  of  Isis  as  they  flow?'* 
Joseph  of  Israel  did  it,  at  Pharaoh's  command,  by 
constructing  a  reservoir  and  canals,  which  fertilized 
the  Fayum  province,  and  gave  to  the  Nile  an 

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Expansion  by  Irrigation 

equable  flow.  It  was  Joseph  who  conceived  the 
idea  of  turning  the  surplus  waters  of  high  Nile  into 
that  vast  depression  in  the  desert  to  the  southwest 
of  the  Fayum,  creating  thereby  the  Lake  Moeris 
of^iicient  history. 

A  delving  American,  Mr.  Cope  Whitehouse,  ca- 
pable of  intelligently  exploring  both  the  desert  and 
moldy  manuscripts  and  maps  in  Italian  libraries, 
showed  the  khedive's  engineers  a  few  years  ago  how 
again  to  store  the  flood  of  the  Nile  in  the  same 
desert  depression— or  that  part  of  it  known  as 
the  Wady-Rayan— by  utilizing  Joseph's  Canal, 
which  leaves  the  Nile  at  Assiut  and  conveys  the 
water  of  life  to  the  Fayum.  But  the  Englishmen 
guiding  the  Egyptian  chariot  of  state  having  no 
wish  to  divide  honors  with  Joseph,  however  worthy 
as  an  irrigationist,  nor  with  Mr.  Whitehouse,  the 
latter  was  formally  thanked  for  his  scholarly  sug- 
gestion, decorated  by  the  khedive  as  a  Grand  Com- 
mander of  the  Medjidieh — and  the  Englishmen 
proceeded  with  their  studies  preliminary  to  the 
Assuan  dam. 

To  comprehend  the  importance  of  present-day 
irrigation  in  Egypt,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that 
the  country  owes  its  fertility  solely  to  the  Nile.  Its 
agriculture,  even  the  country's  existence,  depends 
on  irrigation,  for  Egypt  is  practically  rainless. 
Wherever  the  Nile  water  can  be  regularly  supplied 
to  the  soil,  the  most  bountiful  crops  follow,  which, 
like  cotton  and  sugar,  command  high  prices  because 
of  their  excellence.  Indeed,  with  a  reliable  supply 
of  water,  farming  in  the  Nile  country  can  be  pur- 

177 


Present-Day  Egypt 

sued  with  more  certainty  of  success  than  in  any- 
other  country  that  I  have  knowledge  of. 

■  V  The  present  census  gives  to  the  practical  Egypt 
a  population  averaging  nine  hundred  and  twenty- 
eight  to  the  square  mile  of  tillable  soil— a  density 
far  in  excess  of  any  European  state,  and  not  to  be 

^  equaled  outside  of  Asiatic  countries.  The  provi- 
sion of  sustenance  for  so  many  mouths  depends  on 
the  marvelous  fertility  of  the  soil,  and  that  again 
wholly  on  the  mud  and  water  of  the  Nile.  In  going 
by  rail  southward  from  Cairo,  or  from  Ismailia  to 
Cairo,  one  sees  hundreds  of  striking  illustrations  of 
this  truth.  Side  by  side  one  passes  rich  fields  that 
are  under  perennial  cultivation,  and  close  by  sandy 
wastes  that  never  grow  a  blade  of  grass.  The  ster- 
ile expanse  may  be  only  a  foot  or  two  above  the 
luxuriant  soil,  but  water  never  reaches  it,  and  that 
is  enough. 

It  will  no  doubt  surprise  most  readers  of  this 
volume  to  learn  that  a  fair  estimate  of  the  value  of 
Egypt's  ten  thousand  five  hundred  square  miles  of 
cultivable  territory  is  $105  an  acre.  It  is  a  fact,  as 
well,  that  the  foreign  bonded  indebtedness— nat- 
urally based  upon  the  intrinsic  value  of  the  coun- 
try—averages $75.74  per  acre,  while  the  per  capita 
proportion  of  the  external  debt  burden  is  no  less 
than  $52.20.  The  average  land-tax  of  Egypt  is 
something  in  excess  of  $4  per  acre.  These  vital 
statistics  are  repeated  here  to  reflect  in  its  fullest 
importance  what  the  building  of  the  great  dam  at 
Assuan  means  to  the  people  of  Egypt.  In  the  cir- 
cumstances, the  world  can  well  afford  to  permit  the 

178 


NATIVES  HAULING  A  BOAT  UP  THE  "GREAT  GATE. 


Expansion  by  Irrigation 

ai'tistic  beauty  of  the  island  of  Philee  to  be  slightly 
impaired,  if  necessary. 

It  is  ajDpropriate  here  to  quote  from  a  book  writ- 
ten more  than  thirty-five  years  ago  by  Sir  Samuel 
Baker.  After  descending  the  great  river  from 
source  to  mouth,  he  wrote :  "  The  Nile  might  be  so 
controlled  that  the  enormous  volume  of  water  that 
now  rushes  uselessly  into  the  Mediterranean  might 
be  led  through  the  deserts  to  transform  them  into 
cotton-fields  that  would  render  Enp-lanrl  ii-i/i- 


I  rw-v*^"* 


fciuas  area  to  the  Delta,  the  soil  thus  rescued  from 
the  desert  is  usually  planted  with  cotton.   An  aver- 
age year's  crop  is  now  equal  to  one  million  one 
hundred  thousand  bales  of  five  hundred  pounds 
each,  and  all  this  is  sold  in  foreign  markets  at  a 
price  two  cents  per  pound  in  excess  of  quotations 
for  good  American  upland  cotton.    It  is  its  fiber, 
nearly  an  inch  and  a  half  long,  that  gives  Egyptian 
cotton  its  peculiar  value.     Great  as  the  price  is,  this 
is  not  the  only  advantage  possessed  by  the  fellah 
cotton-grower  over  the  planter  of  our  Southern 
States ;  for  the  magical  fecundity  of  the  Nile  soil 
permits  the  harvesting  of  a  crop  averaging  five        ,    j 
hundredweight  to  the  acre.     This  is  twice  what        \  j 
American  planters  get  from  an  acre,  and  the  Nilot        !/ 
is  exempt  from  certain  disastrous  elements  ever        / 
menacing  his  American  rival.     The  Egyptian  has 
no  dread  of  frost,  and  no  labor  question  to  deal  with. 

i8i 


Present-Day  Egypt 

If  the  assistance  of  the  women  and  children  of  his 
family  proves  insufficient,  the  needed  additional 
labor  may  be  secured  at  the  rate  of  fifteen  or  eigh- 
teen cents  a  day  for  each  man.  In  the  unlikely 
event  of  having  to  sell  his  cotton  at  the  same  price 
as  the  American,  even  then  he  could  make  a  profit. 
His  prosperity  is  assured  so  long  as  the  Southern 
planter  accepts  the  opinion  that  long-fiber  cotton 
can  be  grown  only  on  the  Nile,  and  that  European 
manufacturers  will  always  be  content  to  use  the 
American  common  staple. 

Egyptian  cotton  has  become  a  necessity,  not  only 
in  Europe  but  in  the  United  States  as  well,  and  it 
brings  to  Egypt,  for  staple  and  seed,  nearly  fifty- 
five  million  dollars  per  year,  which  sum  is  sufiicient 
to  pay  the  interest  on  her  enormous  foreign  debt, 
carry  on  the  government,  and,  when  there  are  no 
military  operations  up  the  Nile,  leave  something  in 
the  treasury.  The  United  States  is  buying  a  hun- 
dred thousand  bales  of  Egyptian  cotton  annually, 
and  its  consumption  by  New  England  spindles  in- 
creases by  leaps  and  bounds,   "y 

In  the  provinces  of  Dongola  and  Berber  huge 
tracts  are  now  open  to  the  growing  of  breadstuffs ; 
and  the  Nile  basin  promises,  as  in  the  days  of  the 
Pharaohs,  to  be  in  the  near  future  one  of  the  gran- 
aries of  the  world.  This  will  permit  Lower  Egypt 
to  be  devoted  to  cotton-culture,  and  the  crop's  area 
may  be  made  to  include  the  Fayum,  and  extended 
south  of  Cairo  fifty  miles  or  more. 

It  is  a  conservative  estimate  that  by  1905  Egypt 
will  produce  a  million  and  a  third  bales  of  cotton ; 

182 


Expansion  by  Irrigation 


and  the  same  hypothesis  regarding  agricultural 
development  in  Dongola  and  neighboring  prov- 
inces, by  which  they  are  to  feed  the  entire  country, 
likewise  gives  over  to  sugar-growing  the  Nile  val- 
ley from  Beni  Suef  to  Assuan.  Cane-culture  has 
been  developed  there  with  amazing  rapidity.  As 
with  cotton,  Egyptian  sugar  is  of  superior  quality. 
It  now  brings  nearly  ten  million  dollars  per  year  to 
Egypt,  and  it  may  surprise  American  readers  to  be 
told  that  the  United  States  has  for  some  time  been 
a  liberal  buyer  of  Nile-grown  sugar. 

At  many  points  between  Assiut  and  Assuan 
important  crushing-works  have  recently  been 
erected  by  native  or  foreign  capital,  supplied  with 
the  most  perfect  machinery  obtainable  in  Europe. 
The  peasant  farmer  in  Upper  Eg^^t  has,  by  means 
of  enhanced  irrigation,  become  a  capitalist  in  a 
small  way  through  the  sugar  crop,  and  the  cane 
area  will  be  doubled,  if  not  trebled,  in  a  very  few 
years,  and  statisticians  must  hereafter  take  the 
Egyptian  crop  into  account  when  dealing  with  the  \ 
world's  production.  \ 

/  Thus,  Lower  Egypt  is  destined  to  be  devoted  to 
/^otton.  Middle  and  Upper  Egypt  to  sugar,  while  the 
/provinces  south  of  the  first  cataract  will  produce 
[j  more  than  enough  cereals  to  feed  Egypt's  popula- 
tion.   All  this  is  feasible  and  quickly  accomplished, 
and  no  doubt  has  a  place  in  England's  elaborate 
scheme  for  exploiting  the  valley  of  the  Nile.  -' 


183 


<i 


CHAPTEE  VI 

THE  STOEY  OF  THE  SUEZ  CANAL 

yOCABUL ARIES  of  praise  and  censure  have 
been  well-nigh  exhausted  on  Ismail  Pasha 
and  Ferdinand  de  Lesseps,  whose  deaths  were 
chronicled,  during  my  residence  in  Cairo,  simply  as 
items  of  news  rather  than  events;  but  the  nine- 
teenth century  is  indebted  to  them  for  one  of  its 
greatest  achievements,  a  work  of  incalculable  value 
to  the  whole  world,  Egypt  alone  excepted.  Their 
lives  had  run  in  channels  strangely  similar.  Each 
had  been  a  mighty  personage,  the  cynosure  of  the 
world's  gaze;  and,  in  the  case  of  each,  death  de- 
layed until  the  man's  importance  had  been  forgot- 
ten in  a  slough  of  degradation,  the  one  in  exile, 
the  other  in  the  oblivion  of  mental  decay. 

That  Egypt  reaps  no  benefit  from  the  interna- 
tional waterway  crossing  its  domain,  there  uniting 
the  Orient  with  the  Occident,  is  an  amazing  state- 
ment, manifestly.  And  it  is  a  sad  fact  that  the 
Suez  Canal,  which  has  played  a  mighty  political  part 
with  European  nations,  has  made  and  unmade  khe- 
dives,  and  by  a  strange  fatality  has  passed  from  the 
control  of  the  nation  that  built  it  to  that  of  the 
country  that  fought  its  construction  strenuously, 

184 


Story  of  the  Suez  Canal 

is  responsible  for  the  mortgaging  of  the  Egyptian 
people,  body  and  soul,  inasmuch  as  it  inspired  and 
developed  to  an  inordinate  degree  the  borrowing 
habit  of  two  of  their  rulers.  Prior  to  the  giving 
of  the  canal  concession  in  1856,  by  Viceroy  Said, 
Egypt  had  no  debt  whatever.  Her  credit  was  first 
pledged  in  Europe  by  Said  Pasha,  who,  to  add  lus- 
ter to  his  name,  subscribed  seventeen  million  dol- 
lars to  the  stock  of  the  canal  enterprise,  although 
the  undertaking  was  to  cost  Egypt  nothing,  ajid 
for  ninety-nine  years  the  country  was  to  receive 
from  it  fifteen  per  cent,  of  the  gross  revenue. 
Said's  vainglorious  act  laid  the  corner-stone  of 
Egypt's  new  house  of  bondage. 

Ismail,  succeeding  to  the  throne,  lent  himself 
readily  to  the  seductive  project.  Learning  how 
easy  it  was  to  get  money  simply  by  affixing  his 
signature  to  an  innocent-looking  paper,  thought- 
fully prepared  in  Europe,  thenceforth  there  was 
frequent  exchange  between  the  khedive  and  the 
money-capitals  of  Europe  of  these  innocent-look- 
ing papers  for  gold.  There  were  many  investors 
in  the  canal  scheme,  of  course ;  but  it  seemed  as  if 
Egypt  was  ever  feeding  the  insatiable  monster  with 
money,  and  human  life  as  well;  for  four  fifths  of 
the  laborers  who  dug  the  vast  ditch  were  drafted 
from  the  Egyptian  peasantry,  and  so  poorly  cared 
for  that  thousands  died.  A  day  of  reckoning  came, 
however,  when  financial  engagements  could  not  be 
met;  for  Egypt  was  hypothecated  to  its  utmost 
value,  and  the  usurers  of  Europe  made  such  bitter 
outcry  that  Ismail  Pasha  was  forced  by  the  Sultan, 

185 


Present-Day  Egypt 

the  actual  sovereign  of  the  country,  to  surrender 
his  throne  and  go  into  exile.  Foreseeing  the 
crash,  Ismail  had  sold  his  personal  shares  in  the 
canal  to  the  British  government  for  twenty  million 
dollars,  and  on  these  the  Egyptian  treasury  faith- 
fully paid  England  five  per  cent,  interest  for  twenty 
years.  This  purchase  illustrated  Lord  Beacons- 
field's  shrewdness,  for  by  prompt  action  he  pre- 
vented these  shares  from  going  to  France.  To-day 
they  are  worth  more  than  four  times  what  was 
paid  for  them,  and  secure  to  England  the  voting 
control  in  canal  affairs.  The  stipulation  in  the 
concession  that  Egypt  should  receive  fifteen  per 
cent,  of  the  tolls  had  also  been  marketed,  Ismail 
pledging  this  consideration  as  security  on  which  to 
borrow  a  few  millions  when  the  French  company 
could  raise  no  more  money.  Thus,  having  no 
maritime  interests,  and  possessing  not  a  share  in 
the  enterprise,  no  pecuniary  benefit  can  accrue  to 
the  Egyptian  people  from  the  Suez  Canal.  And, 
further,  it  can  be  conjectured  that,  had  Ismail  not 
burdened  his  subjects  with  overwhelming  indebt- 
edness, thereby  breeding  discontent,  there  would 
have  been  no  European  interference  with  Egyptian 
finances,  involving  his  dethronement;  no  Arabi 
rebellion,  and  no  British  army  of  occupation. 

The  idea  of  a  water  communication  between  the 
Mediterranean  and  the  Eed  Sea  is  as  old  as  his- 
tory, and  nearly  every  ruler  of  Egypt,  from  Seti, 
father  of  Rameses  the  Great,  to  Napoleon  Bona-, 
parte,  gave  attention  to  the  problem,  with  vary- 
ing degrees  of  success.     Strabo  asserted  that  Seti, 

i86 


Story  of  the  Suez  Canal 

fourteen  centuries  before  the  Christian  era,  cut  a 
canal  fifty-seven  miles  long,  from  Bubastis,  near 
the  present  town  of  Zagazig,  on  the  Pelusiac  branch 
of  the  Nile,  to  Heroopolis,  at  the  head  of  the  Bitter 
Lakes,  then  forming  the  northern  extremity  of  the 
Gulf  of  Suez.  Eight  hundred  years  later,  says 
Herodotus,  the  second  Necho  gave  his  attention  to 
canal-building,  persevering  in  the  task  until  one 
hundred  and  twenty  thousand  lives  had  been  sac- 
rificed, but  abandoning  the  undertaking  because  the 
oracle  he  consulted  told  him  that  dire  results  would 
follow  the  completion  of  his  labors,  and  Egypt  be 
surrendered  to  barbarians — or,  in  other  words,  the 
making  of  a  canal  would  so  entangle  the  Egyptians 
with  foreign  interests  that  their  safety  would  be 
imperiled.  A  century  later  came  the  Persian 
Darius,  son  of  Hystaspes,  who  took  up  the  work 
abandoned  by  Necho ;  but  being  assured  by  cer- 
tain wise  men  that  the  land  would  be  deluged,  he 
gave  up  the  task  when  near  its  completion. 
Traces  of  Necho's  canal,  so  archaeologists  claim,  are 
still  distinguishable  near  the  southern  end  of  the 
Bitter  Lakes.  The  project  of  Necho,  as  well  as 
that  of  Darius,  involved  the  transhipment  of  cargo 
at  Heroopolis,  and  each  was  unsatisfactory  for 
other  reasons.  To  remedy  these  defects,  Ptolemy 
Philadelphus,  in  b.  c.  285,  joined  the  Nile  canal  with 
the  Heroopolite  Gulf  by  means  of  locks,  opening 
when  a  vessel  wished  to  pass.  The  southern  ter- 
.minus  of  this  waterway  was  at  Arsinoe,  near  the 
Suez  of  to-day.  The  failure  of  Cleopatra's  ships  to 
escape  through  this  canal  into  the  Red  Sea,  two 

187 


Present-Day  Egypt 

centuries  later,  indicates  that  it  had  fallen  into  dis- 
use and  was  most  likely  unnavigable.  The  Roman 
emperors  Trajan  and  Hadrian  aspired  each  in  his 
time  to  make  it  possible  for  ships  to  go  from  one 
sea  to  another,  but  the  desert  sands  finally  obliter- 
ated their  efforts  to  pierce  the  Suez  Isthmus. 

In  the  interval  of  centuries  thus  spanned,  the 
Nile  had  almost  deserted  its  Pelusiac  branch,  and 
Eoman  engineers,  coming  later,  tapped  the  great 
river  above  its  bifurcation,  near  the  capital  of  the 
present  day,  and  ran  a  new  canal  from  that  point 
to  the  old  Bubastic  canal,  which  they  cleared  and 
restored  to  use.  But  this  system  was  only  tem- 
porarily successful,  and  Amrou,  the  Arabian  con- 
queror, found  inter-sea  navigation  impossible,  and 
himself  essayed,  with  partial  success,  to  solve  the 
great  problem.  Then,  after  the  sands  of  the  Arabian 
desert  had  for  centuries  asserted  their  dominion, 
came  the  great  Napoleon,  to  whom  all  things  were 
possible.  Shortly  after  he  had  conquered  the  an- 
cient land  of  the  Pharaohs,  in  1798,  his  engineers 
were  given  the  task  of  bringing  the  Mediterranean 
into  communication  with  the  Gulf  of  Suez.  They 
studied  the  project  assiduously,  and  estimating 
from  their  surveys,  as  others  before  them  had  done,' 
that  the  Mediterranean  was  thirtj^  feet  below  the 
level  of  the  Red  Sea,  recommended  a  complicated 
scheme  calling  for  sluices  and  locks.  Napoleon's 
evacuation  of  Egypt  in  1801  caused  the  work  to  be 
dropped  while  yet  in  embryo. 

Mehemet  Ali  probably  detected  the  dangers  fore- 
shadowed by  the  oracle  of  old  when  urged  to  con- 

i88 


Story  of  the  Suez  Canal 

struct  a  ship-canal  across  his  territory.  This  sol- 
dier who  had  founded  a  dynasty  by  successive  deeds 
of  bravery,  and  had  butchered  three  or  four  hun- 
dred Mamelukes  whom  he  had  asked  to  a  feast, 
could  not  have  been  suspected  of  lacking  in  dar- 
ing; but  he  never  fully  yielded  to  the  blandish- 
ments of  foreigners  striving  to  get  him  interested 
in  isthmian  canalization.  His  sagacious  intellect 
kept  him  from  embarking  therein,  save  in  a  tenta- 
tive way.  The  discovery  in  1830,  by  Lieutenant 
Waghorn,  that  the  level  of  the  two  seas  was  nearly 
identical,  failed  even  to  impress  the  hard-headed 
viceroy.  He  commissioned  Linant  Pasha,  however, 
to  prepare  a  plan  for  a  canal  across  the  narrowest 
part  of  the  isthmus,  from  Tilreh  to  Suez;  but 
as  this  Frenchman  accepted  the  survey  of  Bona- 
parte's engineers,  and  discredited  the  statement  of 
Waghorn  as  to  the  level  of  the  waters,  the  vice- 
roy still  withheld  his  confidence  from  the  scheme. 
In  1846  he  asked  a  board  of  engineers,  comprising 
representatives  of  England,  France,  and  Austria,  to 
solve  once  for  all  the  question  of  the  sea-levels. 
These  experts  confirmed  the  judgment  of  the  Eng- 
lishman, Waghorn ;  but  the  British  member  of  the 
board,  the  renowned  Eobert  Stephenson,  with  his 
instinct  for  railway-making,  persuaded  Mehemet 
Ali  to  construct  instead  a  railway  from  Cairo  to 
Suez,  in  connection  with  the  line  from  Alexandria. 
This  was  done,  and  it  formed  the  connecting-link 
between  Europe  and  the  East,  and  brought  great 
profit,  and  no  political  dangers,  to  Egypt. 

In  the  meantime  another  mind  was  occupied 
191 


Present-Day  Egypt 

with  the  project.  When  Waghorn  was  carrying  on 
his  controversy,  young  Ferdinand  de  Lesseps  was 
an  attache  at  the  French  consulate-general  in 
Cairo,  and  there  conceived  the  idea  of  accomplish- 
ing what  had  baffled  Pharaohs,  Ptolemies,  and  a 
Bonaparte.  Rapid  promotion  in  the  diplomatic 
service  in  no  way  lessened  his  ambition  some  day 
to  wed  the  Mediterranean  to  the  Red  Sea.  For 
more  than  twenty  years  this  was  his  constant 
dream,  until,  in  1854,  once  more  in  Egypt,  facile, 
accomplished,  impulsive,  and  convincing,  he  de- 
veloped his  plan  to  the  viceroy.  Said  Pasha.  On 
January  5, 1856,  De  Lesseps  was  given  a  concession 
to  build  the  canal.  With  the  coveted  document 
in  his  pocket,  he  realized  that  his  aspirations  to  be 
famous,  some  day  to  be  "  Le  grand  Frangais,"  were 
to  be  fulfilled;  and  incidentally  he  saw  an  effec- 
tive way  of  crushing  the  Waghorn  "overland 
route"  from  Alexandria  to  Suez,  detested  by 
Frenchmen  because  the  creation  of  a  Britisher. 

Said  lacked  the  superstitious  caution  of  his 
grandfather,  Mehemet  Ali,  and  cared  nothing  for 
the  opinion  of  an  antiquated  oracle,  if  he  had  ever 
heard  of  it.  Paris  was  his  Mecca;  and,  loving 
Frenchmen  as  he  did,  he  saw  a  most  agreeable  way 
of  making  his  own  name  immortal,  and  his  coun- 
try so  prosperous  that  it  would  attain  to  a  dazzling 
position  in  the  family  of  nations— all  by  means  of 
the  canal,  through  the  facile  and  convincing  De 
Lesseps.  The  canal  was  not  to  cost  Said  or  his 
people  a  single  franc ;  on  the  contrary,  fifteen  per 
cent,  of  the  revenue  coming  from  its  operation  was 

192 


Story  of  the  Suez  Canal 

to  flow  into  the  national  purse ;  and  at  the  end  of 
only  ninety-nine  years  the  magnificent  enterprise 
would  belong  to  Egypt ! 

The  concession  gave  M.  de  Lesseps,  and  "La 
Compagnie  Universelle  du  Canal  Maritime  de 
Suez,"  to  be  created  by  him,  the  monopoly  of 
operating  a  waterway  to  be  constructed  in  a  direct 
line  across  the  isthmus,  utilizing  the  chain  of  Bit- 
ter Lakes  on  the  south,  and  intersecting  on  the 
north  the  vast  marsh  called  Lake  Menzaleh.  In  no 
sense  was  the  arrangement  a  contract  involving  any 
obligation  on  Egypt,  and  it  was  stipulated  that  at 
the  end  of  the  period  for  which  the  concession  was 
given  everything  was  to  revert  to  the  Egyptian 
government,  on  payment  of  the  actual  value  of  im- 
provements on  the  banks  of  the  canal,  as  determined 
by  arbitration.  The  concessionaries  were  also  to 
build  at  their  own  cost  a  smaller  canal  from  the  Nile 
to  the  line  of  the  ship-canal,  primarily  to  supply  the 
work-people  with  fresh  water,  and  ultimately  for 
commercial  purposes.  To  prevent  bringing  to  his 
country  thousands  of  laborers,  representing  the 
flotsam  and  jetsam  of  southern  Europe,  and  mer- 
cenaries of  all  shades,  the  viceroy  exacted  the  right 
of  furnishing  native  laborers  if  he  chose,  at  a 
nominal  expense  to  the  company ;  and  it  was  agreed 
by  the  latter  that  the  fellaheen  diggers  would  be 
fed  and  have  all  necessary  medical  and  hospital 
facilities. 

It  was  stipulated  and  reiterated  that  all  these 
conditions,  as  well  as  the  concession  itself,  should 
be  valid  only  when  the  Sultan  of  Turkey,  the  suze- 

193 


Present-Day  Egypt 

rain  of  Egypt,  should  give  his  sanction  thereto. 
De  Lesseps  and  his  associates  were  to  arrange  the 
matter  at  Constantinople,  providing  whatever  in- 
centive in  the  way  of  bakshish  they  might  find 
necessary. 

De  Lesseps's  initial  endeavors  to  secure  funds 
for  his  company  were  disappointing  in  the  ex- 
treme. French  capital  in  those  days  was  averse 
to  investment  away  from  home ;  and,  besides,  the 
Suez  scheme  was  a  startling  novelty,  and  tra- 
ditions were  against  it.  France  had  but  recently 
emerged  from  the  Crimean  campaign,  and  for  a 
time,  at  least,  money  was  wanted  at  home.  Ger- 
man bankers,  close-fisted  and  unimaginative,  saw 
nothing  financially  attractive  in  the  Paris  enter- 
prise. England  was  opposed  to  it  intuitively. 
London  journals  raised  a  howl  against  the  French 
project  that  was  to  provide  a  short  cut  to  India 
for  any  Tom,  Dick,  or  Harry.  As  a  consequence, 
Lombard  Street  said  "  No,"  emphatically,  and  made 
the  fact  known  to  all  the  world ;  and  thereafter  all 
possible  difficulties  were  thrown  in  the  way  of  the 
scheme  by  Lord  Palmerston's  ministry. 

The  sum  that  De  Lesseps  could  raise  among  his 
friends  was  but  a  drop  in  the  bucket.  What  he 
wanted  was  two  hundred  million  francs.  A  san- 
guine engineer  had  assured  him  that  this  amount 
would  be  sufficient  for  ditch,  buildings,  machinery, 
and  everything.  Nothing  had  yet  been  done  to 
secure  the  Constantinople  approval,  probably  be- 
cause there  was  no  money.  There  was  an  unprom- 
ising drag  to  the  whole  matter.     Something  had  to 

194 


Story  of  the  Suez  Canal 

be  done,  and  the  man  who  had  spent  twenty-four 
years  in  meditation  over  the  canal  scheme  saw  that 
he  alone  must  do  it.  To  create  the  Suez  Canal 
was  to  be  a  feat  of  financiering,  not  of  engineering. 

There  was  the  easy-going  Said,  down  in  Egypt. 
Why  not  have  a  try  at  him  ?  Said  loved  French- 
men, and  believed  the  Suez  Canal  was  to  make  his 
name  immortal.  So  the  intrepid  diplomat  hurried 
to  Cairo  and  saw  the  viceroy.  "Certainly,"  was 
his  reply  to  De  Lesseps's  appeal,  and  he  actually 
loaned  the  money  required  for  making  the  sur- 
veys and  for  exploiting  the  company  throughout 
Europe— 2,394,914  francs  in  all.  Had  the  Egyp- 
tian viceroy  said  "No"  as  vigorously  as  had  the 
London  bankers,  how  different  would  the  modern 
history  of  Egypt  read,  and  how  different  would  be 
the  material  condition  of  the  people  of  Egypt ! 

Encouraged  by  his  success  with  Said  Pasha,  De 
Lesseps  thought  the  time  propitious  for  getting 
from  him  another  concession,  cognate  but  subor- 
dinate to  the  great  scheme.  This  was  to  connect 
the  canal  bringing  fresh  water  from  the  Nile  with 
another  small  canal  running  from  Ismailia  to  the 
termini  of  the  great  ship-canal.  The  concession 
permitted  De  Lesseps  and  his  associates  to  sell  irri- 
gation privileges  from  this  special  waterway ;  and 
wherever  the  magical  water  of  Father  Nile  can  be 
turned  upon  the  desert,  the  sands  thereof  blossom 
like  the  rose. 

In  18G0  the  Paris  company  of  the  long  name  was 
again  without  a  copper  in  its  cash-box,  and  in  debt 
to  an  extent  making  the  prospect  almost  hopeless. 

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Present-Day  Egypt 

For  two  years  the  subscription  books  had  been 
open  without  attracting  serious  investors.  Again 
did  the  resourceful  De  Lesseps  think  of  the  amiable 
pasha  down  in  Egypt,  and  again  was  he  appealed 
to  for  succor.  Said  was  this  time  induced  to  sub- 
scribe for  177,662  shares  out  of  the  400,000  repre- 
senting the  Suez  company's  total  capitalization; 
and  he  further  pledged  himself  to  contribute  in 
other  ways  to  the  construction  of  the  canal — 
and  this  was  the  affair  that  originally  was  to  cost 
Egypt  not  a  piaster!  The  viceroy's  magnificent 
subscription  dazzled  impressionable  France,  and 
for  a  time  a  torrent  of  gold  flowed  into  the  Paris 
offices  of  the  Suez  company.  When  it  came 
time  for  Said  to  pay  for  the  bonds  he  had  so 
dramatically  bespoken,  however,  he  was  forced  to 
confess  that  he  was  suffering  from  financial  cramp 
himself,  and  could  supply  no  more  cash.  "  No  mat- 
ter," said  the  members  of  the  canal  ring ;  "  we  can 
get  the  viceroy's  promises  to  pay  discounted  in 
Europe."  This  they  did,  the  obligations  taking  the 
form  of  treasury  warrants,  bearing  ten  per  cent, 
interest,  and  payable  in  four  yearly  instalments. 
These  obligations,  with  their  interest,  the  whole  a 
charge  upon  the  Egyptian  treasury,  totaled  24,- 
705,734  francs !  Was  it  to  be  wondered  at  that 
Egypt  became  a  happy  hunting-ground  for  finan- 
cial sportsmen  ? 

In  1863  the  magnificent  Ismail  inherited  the 
viceroyship  from  his  deceased  uncle.  This  placed 
a  prince  of  immense  fortune  in  control  of  Egypt, 
and  the  impecunious  canal  ring  blessed  the  good 

196 


Story  of  the  Suez  Canal 

luck  that  had  given  them  another  Oriental,  who 
likewise  loved  Frenchmen,  to  fatten  on.  At  their 
first  interview  with  Ismail  Pasha  they  made  a  point 
of  their  own  generosity,  assuring  him  that  as  one 
of  the  fresh- water  canals  appeared  to  them  to  be 
needless,  they  would  surrender  the  special  conces- 
sion under  which  it  was  to  have  been  constructed, 
on  condition  that  the  new  viceroy  would  agree  to 
complete  the  other  minor  canal  at  his  own  cost — 
but  for  the  company's  benefit.  These  suave  trick- 
sters certainly  had  formed  a  strange  estimate  of  the 
character  of  the  new  ruler ;  and  Ismail  must  have 
recognized  the  colossal  impudence  of  the  company's 
request,  surely.  Had  he  investigated,  he,  too,  would 
have  learned  that  the  small  canal  in  question  could 
not  possibly  be  constructed  because  of  legal  com- 
plications and  rights  of  jurisdiction.  But,  not 
haunted  by  the  ghosts  of  his  astute  relative,  Me- 
hemet  Ali,  and  that  other  King  of  Egypt,  Pharaoh 
Necho,  he  assented  to  the  request  of  the  French- 
men, thereby  putting  practically  another  fifty  mil- 
lion francs  into  the  Suez  company's  coffers. 

The  digging  of  the  vast  ditch  was  now  only  a  quar- 
ter completed.  But  the  vigilant  promoters  of  the 
enterprise  recognized  in  Ismail  a  valued  "  friend," 
and  to  their  minds  an  essential  problem  in  con- 
nection with  their  work  had  been  solved.  Ismail 
now  called  himself  khedive,^  and  was  negotiating 

1  In  18G6,  in  consideration  of  a  large  sum  of  money,  Ismail  ob- 
tained the  sanction  of  the  Sublime  Porte  to  a  new  order  of  succession 
based  on  the  law  of  primogeniture ;  and  in  1867  he  was  raised  to  the 
rank  of  khedive.  In  1873  Khedive  Ismail  obtained  a  new  firman, 
confirming  and  extending  his  privileges  in  the  matter  of  indepen- 

199 


Present-Day  Egypt 

at  Stamboul  for  a  firman  that  would  change  the 
order  of  inheritance  in  the  ruling  family,  and  had 
another  card  up  his  sleeve  that  he  hoped  would 
give  him  full  sovereignty. 

Time  went  on,  and  work  on  the  canal  proceeded 
with  halting  pace.  Although  the  khedive  ordered 
twenty-five  thousand  peasants  every  three  months 
to  the  isthmus,  canal-making  by  a  process  so  primi- 
tive as  the  scooping  of  the  sand  with  bare  hands 
into  palm-leaf  baskets,  to  be  carried  up  the  steep 
bank  and  emptied,  without  mechanical  assistance 
of  any  sort,  was  slow  work.  The  taskmasters  used 
the  lash  liberally,  but  forgot  about  the  agreement 
to  provide  for  the  medical  and  sanitary  welfare  of 
the  poor  slaves.  The  food  was  wretched  and  in- 
sufficient ;  and  the  matter  of  the  nominal  compen- 
sation— well,  that  was  something  that  did  not  con- 
cern the  fellaheen,  forced  to  labor  in  the  corvee. 
Under  the  heat  of  summer  the  wretched  Arabs 
perished  by  thousands,  and  Europe  was  properly 
indignant  at  the  tales  of  suffering  and  inhumanity 
to  be  read  in  every  newspaper. 

Long  viewing  with  distrust  and  disapproval  the 
work  that  in  time  was  to  give  the  world  an  open 
sesame  to  their  treasure-house  in  the  East,  English 
people  were  particularly  loud  in  their  outcry  against 
the  treatment  of  the  poor  Egyptians.  John  Bull's 
philanthropy  and  political  interest  were  aroused  to 

denee  of  administration  and  judiciaries,  right  of  concluding  treaties 
of  commerce  with  foreign  governments,  rigiit  of  coining  money,  right 
of  borrowing  money,  and  pei-mission  to  increase  his  army  and  navy. 
These  were  the  provisions  of  autonomy,  in  consideration  of  which 
he  was  to  pay  an  annual  tribute  to  the  Sultan  of  £681,538. 

200 


Story  of  the  Suez  Canal 

simultaneous  action,  the  outcome  being  a  spirited 
appeal  to  the  Sublime  Porte  to  have  the  barbarities 
stopped.  The  Sultan  was  entreated,  it  is  also 
claimed,  to  give  orders  to  have  the  work  on  the 
canal  cease  altogether.  This  he  could  do,  for  his 
Imperial  Majesty  had  never  confirmed  the  conces- 
sion under  which  the  canal  was  being  built.  For 
a  reason  not  difficult  to  discern,  M.  de  Lesseps  had 
omitted  to  consult  him,  and  the  gentlemen  forming 
his  divan,  on  the  momentous  subject. 

French  diplomacy  was  called  upon  to  nullify  the 
effect  of  Great  Britain's  interference,  the  canal  ring 
swarmed  on  the  Bosporus— and  the  Sultan  an- 
nounced a  happy  compromise  of  the  difficulty,  by 
formally  approving  the  concession  of  his  vassal,  on 
condition  that  the  peasant  should  no  longer  be 
forced  to  do  the  digging ;  this  was  specifically  for- 
bidden. The  Sultan  even  hinted  at  the  propriety 
of  employing  machinery. 

Here  was  a  grievance  of  real  magnitude,  the  De 
Lesseps  cohort  claimed;  and  they  promptly  an- 
nounced their  determination  to  hold  the  khedive 
responsible  for  the  Sultan's  action,  although  the 
imperial  indorsement  was  an  essential  clause  in 
the  Said  concession,  and  any  legal  tribunal  would 
have  said  there  was  no  breach  of  contract— for  no 
contract  existed,  and  the  concession  imposed  no 
obligation  or  liability  upon  Egypt.  French  jour- 
nals in  the  pay  of  the  canal  raised  a  furious  out- 
cry, and  De  Lesseps  and  his  lieutenants  beat  their 
tom-toms  with  unceasing  clamor,  insisting  that 
without  fellah   labor  the  canal   could  never  be 

20I 


Present-Day  Egypt 

finished,  and  that  ruin,  ignominious  ruin,  conse- 
quently stared  the  enterprise  in  th^  face.  It  was 
an  audacious  plea;  for  at  the  time  when  their 
shrieks  were  loudest,  infiltration  from  the  sea  and 
neighboring  lakes  had  flooded  the  big  trench  to  an 
extent  that  practically  put  at  an  end  the  need  of 
an  army  of  men,  unless  amphibious  men  could  be 
found.  The  point  had  been  reached  where  steam- 
dredges  must  be  employed.  Yet  the  canal  com- 
pany formulated  a  bill  of  damages  of  portentous 
amount,  and  politely  requested  the  khedive  to 
settle.  Ismail  protested,  pointed  to  the  stipula- 
tions of  the  concession,  and  pleaded  for  justice. 
Daily  fomented  by  the  French  press,  the  dispute 
became  the  talk  of  Europe.  Ismail  set  too  high 
a  value  upon  negotiations  of  a  personal  nature  at 
Constantinople  to  dare  appeal  to  the  Sultan  for  a 
reconsideration  of  his  canal  decision,  and  had  no 
desire  to  make  ducks  and  drakes  of  his  chances  for 
securing  absolute  independence.  So  he  preserved 
a  serene  exterior  and  awaited  developments,  being 
now  heartily  tired  of  the  canal  scheme  and  all  con- 
nected with  it. 

Trusting  to  find  a  way  of  advantageously  break- 
ing the  deadlock,  De  Lesseps  again  went  to  Cairo, 
and  for  weeks  plied  the  khedive  with  arguments 
intended  to  convince  him  of  his  liability.  The 
medium  of  arbitration,  as  a  solvent  of  stubborn 
differences  of  opinion,  was  finally  brought  to  his 
notice  by  the  diplomatic  De  Lesseps ;  and  Ismail 
was  actually  talked  into  consenting  to  let  the 
Emperor  of  the  French  weigh  the  pros  and  cons  of 

202 


Story  of  the  Suez  Canal 

the  situation,  his  decision  to  be  final  and  binding. 
The  influence  compelling  the  khedive  to  accept 
Napoleon  III  as  umpire  in  the  dispute  between 
himself  and  the  French  people— for  the  Suez  Canal 
had  now  become  almost  a  national  affair— must 
have  been  something  unusually  potent,  perhaps 
hypnotic.  Ismail's  abiding  faith  in  Napoleon  was 
sublime,  and  he  was  fashioning  his  own  life  in  more 
ways  than  one  upon  that  of  the  emperor ;  and,  be- 
sides, Ismail  was  hoping  to  make  Cairo  a  second 
Paris.  The  khedive  should  have  remembered  that 
M.  de  Lesseps  was  a  favorite  at  the  Tuileries,  and 
that  his  kinship  with  the  empress  was  recognized. 

The  emperor  was  willing  to  serve;  and  with 
amazing  promptness  he  rendered  a  decision  that 
must  have  shattered  any  remaining  trust  that 
Ismail  had  in  humanity,  for  it  gave  the  canal  peo- 
ple even  heavier  damages  than  they  had  asked  for, 
and  opened  the  way  for  the  presentation  of  a  sec- 
ond claim  by  them.  Looked  at  in  any  light,  Napo- 
leon's monstrous  award  becomes  one  of  the  strong- 
est arguments  against  arbitration  by  a  single 
person,  possessing  no  legal  education  or  judicial 
aptitude,  that  history  reveals. 

Napoleon  decided  that  the  provision  relating  to 
the  supply  of  native  labor  was  of  the  nature  of  a 
contract,  and  that  Ismail  was  responsible  for  the 
consequences  of  its  violation.  For  this  the  khe- 
dive was  to  pay  the  company  thirty-eight  million 
francs,  which  sum,  coming  at  the  very  moment  it 
was  needed,  enabled  the  company  to  purchase  the 
labor-saving  machinery  now  indispensable  to  com- 

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Present-Day  Egypt 

pleting  the  canal.  Secondly,  the  emperor  decided 
that  the  retrocession  of  the  company's  rights  in 
the  small  fresh-water  canal  deprived  them  of 
large  prospective  profits  through  the  renting  of 
lands  and  providing  irrigation  therefor.  The 
company's  bookkeeper  ingeniously  figured  expen- 
ditures of  seven  and  a  half  million  francs  up  to 
the  time  the  concession  was  resigned,  which,  with 
interest,  made  a  round  ten  million  francs.  Napo- 
leon further  gave  his  countrymen  six  million  francs 
for  the  supposititious  loss  of  water-tolls,  and  thirty 
million  more  for  the  assumed  value  of  the  lands  that 
would  have  been  rendered  productive  by  the  sweet- 
water  canal,  had  it  been  made.  This  canal,  it  will 
be  remembered,  was  not  proceeded  with  because 
the  concessionaries  requested  Ismail  to  take  back 
the  authorization  for  its  construction ;  yet  Emperor 
Napoleon  compelled  the  khedive  to  pay  forty-six 
million  francs  for  allowing  the  concession  to  be 
canceled. 

The  entire  award  footed  up  eighty-four  million 
francs,  and  so  successful  was  the  canal  ring  in  this 
essay  at  financiering  that  some  of  its  members 
grumbled  because  more  items  had  not  been  in- 
cluded in  the  schedule  of  claims  laid  before  the 
emperor  for  adjudication.  They  had  actually  for- 
gotten to  make  a  demand  for  the  "  value  of  the 
fish  "  in  the  canal  that  was  never  built.  A  supple- 
mentary bill  was  sent  to  Ismail,  consequently ;  and 
when  he  demurred,  arbitration  was  again  sug- 
gested. He  had  taken  his  medicine  without  flinch- 
ing in  the  first  case,  but  had  had  enough  arbitration 

204 


EGYPTIAN'    PROTOTYPE    OF  FKKKIS  WHEEL,    HUNDREDS  OF   YEAKs  OEL). 


Story  of  the  Suez  Canal 

in  that  one  dose  to  last  the  rest  of  his  life.  He 
preferred  compromising  a  disputed  claim,  believ- 
ing it  would  be  cheaper  and  perhaps  end  the 
matter.  "  Take  what  you  must,  but  give  me  a 
receipt  in  full,"  cried  the  unhappy  khedive.  The 
canal  harpies  got  another  forty  million  francs  for  , 
the  "  fish "  claim  and  other  more  or  less  specious 
allegations  of  loss,  included  in  which  payment  were 
ten  million  francs  for  the  repurchase  of  some  lands 
sold  to  the  company  five  years  before  by  Said 
Pasha  for  a  quarter  of  the  sum. 

The  Egyptian  treasury  was  empty,  national  prog- 
ress was  at  a  standstill,  and  Ismail's  credit  with  the 
money-lenders  was  as  shaky  as  his  political  posi- 
tion at  Constantinople,  before  the  canal  leeches 
dropped  their  quarry.  It  is  estimated  by  compe- 
tent experts  that  the  Suez  Canal,  directly  and  in-  ■, 
directly,  cost  Egypt  close  upon  eighty-five  million 
doUars,  of  which  only  twenty  million  dollars  are  rep- 
resented in  any  manner  in  the  capital  stock  of  the 
now  prosperous  Compaguie  Universelle  du  Canal 
Maritime  de  Suez:  this  was  the  personal  holding 
of  Ismail  in  the  undertaking,  which  he  practically 
surrendered  to  creditors  a  short  time  before  his 
dethronement,  the  British  government  being  the 
purchaser. 

The  banished  khedive's  legacy  to  his  country 
was  a  debt  of  four  hundred  and  fifty  million  dol- 
lars, probably  not  more  than  two  thirds  of  which 
sum  ever  left  the  hands  of  the  bankers'  agents  and 
negotiators  in  Europe.  Docks  and  breakwaters 
at  Alexandria  and  Suez,  and  a  few  hundred  miles 

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Present-Day  Egypt 

of  railways  and  telegraphs,  represented  the  more 
important  benefits  to  his  people ;  for  steam- vessels 
of  obsolete  type,  unwieldy  yachts,  a  score  or  more 
of  stucco  palaces,  gilded  coaches,  and  operatic 
paraphernalia  were  not  regarded  as  very  impor- 
tant assets. 

After  more  than  ten  years'  labor,  and  the  display 
of  an  energy  and  perseverance  on  the  part  of  its 
chief  promoter  that  formed  not  the  least  heroic 
feature  of  the  undertaking,  the  new  Bosporus  be- 
tween Africa  and  Asia  was  ready  in  1869  for 
traffic.^  The  magnanimous  Oriental,  plundered  as 
he  had  been  on  an  unprecedented  scale,  determined 
to  make  the  event  of  the  opening  so  resplendent  as 
to  prevent  the  world  from  soon  forgetting  it.  The 
inauguration  of  the  great  enterprise,  in  Novem- 
ber, was  made  the  occasion  of  such  festivities  as 
rivaled  the  traditions  of  Harun-al-Rashid  and  Ak- 
bar.  The  presence  of  the  Empress  of  the  French, 
the  Emperor  of  Austria,  the  Prince  and  Princess  of 
Wales,  and  a  score  of  royalties  from  Continental 
courts,  statesmen,  ambassadors,  and  celebrities  be- 
yond count,  and  representative  squadrons  from 
the  navy  of  every  important  government,  rendered 

1  "On  March  18, 1869,  the  water  of  the  Mediterranean  was  allowed 
to  flow  into  the  nearly  dry,  salt-incrusted  basins  of  the  Bitter  Lakes, 
portions  of  which  lay  thirty  or  forty  feet  below  the  level  of  the  sea. 
The  first  encounter  of  the  waters  of  the  two  seas  was  by  no  means 
of  an  amicable  character ;  they  met  boisterously,  and  then  recoiled 
from  the  attack ;  but  soon,  as  if  commanded  by  a  qnos  ego  of  Nep- 
tune, they  peacefully  mingled,  and  the  ocean  once  more  gained  pos- 
session of  the  land  which  it  had  covered  at  a  very  remote  period,  but 
only  on  condition  of  rendering  service  to  the  traffic  of  the  world."— 
Stephan. 

208 


Story  of  the  Suez  Canal 

the  occasion  a  veritable  "triumpli"  to  the  great 
Frenchman.  Forty-eight  ships  conveyed  the  illus- 
trious guests  of  the  kheclive— for  Ismail  was  footing 
the  bill— through  the  canal ;  and,  as  if  illustrating 
the  irony  of  fate  and  presaging  the  future,  the  first 
vessel  that  paid  dues  after  the  formal  opening  flew 
the  British  flag.  The  fetes  in  Cairo,  transforming 
the  capital  into  fairy-land  for  a  month,  at  Ismail's 
bidding,  cost  that  forgiving  prince  or  his  govern- 

yment  twenty-one  million  dollars. 

//  There  was  a  movement  in  France  at  about  the 
time  of  De  Lesseps's  death  to  have  his  name  for- 
mally given  to  the  canal,  but  the  negotiations  to 
that  end  were  never  realized.  Surprise  had  be- 
fore been  felt  that  this  had  not  been  done,  and 
but  for  the  lamentable  Panama  affair,  impoverish- 
ing thousands  of  French  homes  and  smirching  the 
reputations  of  many  statesmen,  M.  de  Lesseps 
would  probably  have  had  the  satisfaction,  while 
still  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  his  faculties,  of  seeing 
his  name  indissolubly  linked  with  his  work.  It  is 
not  strange,  however,  that  while  Said  Pasha  gave 
his  name  to  an  important  town  and  harbor,^  Ismail 

1  The  Port  Said  entrance  of  the  canal  is  protected  by  two  massive 
piers,  the  eastern  running  out  into  the  sea  toward  the  north  for  a 
mile,  and  the  western  running  toward  the  northeast  for  nearly 
two  miles.  Where  they  start  from  the  land  these  piers  are  fourteen 
hundred  and  forty  yards  apart,  but  their  extremities  approach  within 
seven  hundred  and  seventy  yards  of  each  other.  The  most  serious 
risk  to  which  the  harbor  is  exposed  is  that  of  being  choked  with 
Nile  mud,  deposited  on  the  Pelusiae  coast  by  a  current  in  the  Medi- 
terranean constantly  flowing  from  the  west.  The  western  pier  is  in- 
tended to  ward  off  these  accumulations  of  sand  and  mud,  and  also 
to  shelter  the  harbor  from  the  northwest  winds  which  prevail  during 

209 


Present-Day  Egypt 

Pasha  to  Ismailia,  and  Tewfik  Pasha  to  Port  Tew- 
fik,  nothing  in  Egypt  beyond  a  pubUc  square  in 
Port  Said  bears  the  name  of  De  Lesseps.  The 
Suez  company  is  erecting  a  bronze  statue  at  Port 
Said  of  the  author  of  the  canal,  modeled  by  M. 
Fremiet;  but  as  the  appropriation  for  this  was 
paltry,  its  importance  cannot  be  deemed  commen- 
surate with  the  achievement  it  is  planned  to  com- 
memorate. At  the  opening  of  the  canal  everybody 
expected  that  some  distinction  would  be  conferred 
on  De  Lesseps,  the  general  opinion  being  that  he 
would  be  created  Due  de  Suez ;  and  astonishment 
was  felt  at  his  being  merely  given  the  grand  cordon 

two  thirds  of  the  year.  Both  piers  were  constructed  of  blocks  of 
artificial  stone,  manufactured  of  seven  parts  of  sand  from  the  desert 
and  one  part  of  hydraulic  lime  imported  from  France.  The  concrete 
was  mixed  by  machinery  and  poured  into  large  wooden  molds,  in 
which  it  remained  for  several  weeks.  The  molds  were  then  re- 
moved, and  the  blocks  exposed  to  the  air  to  harden  more  thor- 
oughly. Each  block  weighed  twenty  tons,  and  thirty  of  them  were 
manufactured  daily.  In  all  twenty-five  thousand  were  required. 
Above  the  wooden  molds,  which  covered  an  extensive  piece  of 
ground,  was  constructed  a  railway,  bearing  a  steam-crane,  which 
could  be  moved  to  any  required  spot,  for  the  purpose  of  hoisting  the 
blocks  and  conveying  them  to  their  destination.  After  having  been 
hoisted  by  the  crane,  the  blocks  were  transported  to  a  boat,  where 
they  were  placed  on  an  inclined  plane  in  twos  and  threes,  and  se- 
cured by  means  of  wedges.  They  were  then  conveyed  to  the  place 
where  they  were  to  be  sunk,  the  wedges  were  removed,  and  the 
huge  masses  slid  down  the  incline,  splitting  the  wood  and  emit- 
ting sparks  of  fire  on  their  way,  and  plunged  into  the  water  with  a 
tremendous  splash,  while  the  boat  staggered  from  the  effects  of  the 
shock  and  was  lashed  by  the  waves  thus  artificially  caused.  These 
huge  pierrcs  perdncs,  as  they  were  technically  called,  were  thus 
gradually  heaped  up  until  they  reached  tlie  surface,  and  the  last 
layers,  rising  a  little  above  the  level  of  the  water,  were  finally  de- 
posited by  means  of  a  crane  erected  on  a  steamboat. 

2IO 


Story  of  the  Suez  Canal 

of  the  Legion  of  Honor.  The  omission  was  never 
fully  explained.  Some  thought  that,  as  he  had  no 
personal  fortune,  this  stood  in  the  way  of  his  re- 
ceiving a  French  dukedom:  provision  for  himself 
and  his  heirs  would  have  been  necessary.  Others 
thought  that  the  success  of  the  canal  was  too 
doubtful  for  a  high  honor  to  be  based  on  it.  How- 
ever, in  view  of  the  disgrace  that  De  Lesseps  fell 
into  over  the  Panama  scheme,  it  is  fortunate  for 
the  French  nation  that  the  dukedom  was  never 
given  to  him.  If  it  can  be  said  of  any  man  that  he 
lived  too  long,  that  surely  can  be  said  of  Ferdinand 
de  Lesseps. 

The  canal  destroyed  Egypt's  important  railway 
traf&c  between  Alexandria  and  Suez,  besides 
bringing  to  the  land  that  foreign  domination  fore- 
shadowed by  the  oracle  consulted  by  the  ancient 
Necho.  Of  the  never-ending  throng  of  humanity 
that  passes  through  it,  few,  probably,  think  of,  or 
i  know,  the  pathetic  chapters  of  its  history.  It  has 
^  revolutionized  shipping  methods,  driven  the  stately 
sailing-ship  from  the  ocean,  and  some  years  ago  had 
developed  as  much  traffic  as  can  be  expected  to 
come  to  it  under  normal  conditions. 

The  canal's  value  to  the  commerce  of  the  world 
is  sufficiently  proved  by  the  saving  of  distance 
effected  by  it,  as  compared  with  the  route  around 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  By  the  latter  the  dis- 
tance between  England  and  Bombay  is  10,860  miles, 
by  the  canal  4620  miles ;  from  St.  Petersburg  to 
Bombay  by  the  Cape  is  11,610  miles,  by  the  canal 
6770  miles;  and  from  New  York  to  Bombay  by 

21  I 


Present-Day  Egypt 

the  Cape  route  the  distance  is  11,520  miles,  while 
by  the  canal  it  is  7920  miles.  How  rapidly  the 
traffic  attracted  by  the  economy  of  distance  thus 
effected  has  developed,  is  illustrated  by  the  follow- 
ing statement,  taken  quinquennially  from  the  com- 
pany's returns: 


Year. 

Steamers. 

Tonnage. 

Receipts  in  Francs 

1871 

765 

761,467 

7,595,385 

1876 

1881 

1,457 

2,727 

2,096,771 
4,136,779 

27,631,455 
47,193,880 

1886 
1891 
1896 

3,100 
4,206 
3,407 

5,767,655 
8,699,020 
8,594,307 

54,771,075 
83,421,500 
79,652,175 

Eight  or  ten  years  ago  three  quarters  of  the  ves- 
sels passing  the  Suez  Canal  flew  the  British  flag; 
but  in  recent  years  there  has  been  a  slight  falling 
off  in  the  number  of  English  ships,  the  result  chiefly 
of  the  determined  effort  Germany  is  making  to 
secure  new  markets  in  the  East.  But  the  British 
flag  represents  still  two  thirds  of  the  total  traffic. 
Next  to  England,  Germany  is  the  principal  user  of 
the  canal;  the  Putch  flag  comes  third,  while  the 
tricolor  of  France  is  fourth  in  the  list.  Not  for 
many  years,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  have  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  of  our  country  been  seen  in  the  canal  over 
a  commercial  vessel.  A  couple  of  warships  and 
two  or  three  yachts  usually  comprise  the  annual 
volume  of  American  representation.  This  is  a  sad 
commentary  on  the  decline  of  our.  mercantile  fleet, 
and  demonstrates  in  no  equivocal  manner  how  com- 
pletely our  flag  has  disappeared  from  the  seas.  The 
records  of  the  United  States  consular  agency  at  Port 
Said  disclose  the  fact  that  about  eighty  American- 

212 


A  SIMPLE  FOKM  OF  IRRKiATION. 


Story  of  the  Suez  Canal 

bound  cargoes— sugar  from  Singapore  and  the 
Dutch  colonies,  and  tea  from  China  and  India — 
pass  the  canal  each  year ;  but  these,  in  nearly  every 
instance,  are  borne  in  British  bottoms. 

Our  military  operations  in  the  Philippines  gave 
an  impulse  to  the  canal  receipts  hitherto  never  en- 
joyed from  this  source  by  the  company,  and  the 
United  States  government,  in  the  closing  months 
of  1898  and  the  first  half  of  1899,  paid  more  in 
tolls  for  warships,  transports,  and  men,  going  or 
coming  from  Manila,  than  it  had  hitherto  paid  the 
canal  in  twenty  years.  It  is  truly  an  ill  wind 
that  brings  nothing  to  the  Suez  company.  Every 
year  or  two  its  tribute  upon  commerce  is  substan- 
tially augmented  by  the  presence  of  armed  strife 
somewhere  in  Asia  or  Africa,  in  which  Europe  is 
taking  a  hand.  The  years  when  Italy  was  hope- 
lessly fighting  the  Abyssinians  were  among  the 
most  remunerative  in  the  company's  history. 

The  economy  in  using  the  canal  is  in  the  saving 
of  time  only.  The  present  toll  is  $1.90  on  vessel 
tonnage,  and  $2  for  every  passenger,  not  counting 
the  shijo's  crew.  The  toll  on  tonnage  is  equivalent 
to  the  cost  of  about  three  thousand  miles  of  ocean 
transportation,  it  is  estimated.  Since  electric  lights 
for  night  steaming  came  into  use,  it  requires  from 
seventeen  to  twenty  hours  to  make  the  passage 
of  the  canal.  The  cost  for  a  large  steamer,  like 
a  liner  of  the  P.  &  O.,  the  Orient  or  British  India 
companies,  or  a  troop-ship  filled  with  soldiers,  is 
not  infrequently  ten  thousand  dollars.  I  first  made 
the  trip  from  Port  Said  to  the  Red  Sea  in  the  yacht 

215 


Present-Day  Egypt 

Sagamore^  under  the  flag  of  the  New  York  Yacht 
Club,  and  for  this  comparatively  small  craft  the 
toll  was  four  hundred  dollars. 

The  Suez  company's  capital— bonds  and  shares 
of  every  character — is  practically  one  hundred  mil- 
lion dollars ;  and  the  length  of  the  canal  is  just 
under  a  hundred  miles.  In  average  years  the  gross 
revenue  is  about  16  per  cent,  on  the  capitalization, 
and  the  net  earnings  about  7.6  per  cent.  These 
figure^  indicate  a  remarkable  prosperity,  and  ex- 
plain the  popularity  in  which  the  securities  are 
held  by  Frenchmen  and  other  investors.  I  recall 
an  interesting  conversation  with  a  clever  American 
engineer,  two  or  three  years  ago,  who  assured  me 
that  by  employing  the  hydraulic  excavating  ma- 
chinery of  the  present  day  he  could  make  a  canal 
from  the  Mediterranean  to  Suez,  as  wide  and  deep 
as  the  existing  canal,  for  twenty  million  dollars ; 
and  he  regretted  that  international  agreements  and 
vested  rights  rendered  it  impossible  to  "parallel" 
the  Suez  waterway.  The  machinery  with  which  his 
name  was  associated  had  done  wonders  in  making 
the  Chicago  drainage-canal,  and  his  estimate  of 
the  cost  of  dealing  with  the  sands  of  the  Egyptian 
isthmus  seemed  reasonable. 

It  is  too  early  for  speculation  as  to  the  rever- 
sionary value  of  the  Suez  Canal.  Many  persons, 
knowing  how  Egypt  is  mulcted  in  most  matters, 
claim  that  it  will  never  be  turned  over  to  the  Egyp- 
tian government,  predicting  that  in  time  it  will  be 
thrown  open  to  the  world,  and  supported  by  a 
nominal  tax  on  vessels  using  it,  after  the  manner 

216 


Story  of  the  Suez  Canal 

in  which  lighthouses  are  maintained.  Of  course 
this  is  conjecture,  pure  and  simple.  Many  things 
can  happen  in  the  space  of  seventy  years,  and 
before  1968  conditions  may  prevail  that  no  one 
now  foresees.  The  Suez  Canal  will  doubtless  be  as 
useful  then  as  now,  but  the  term  "  Egyptian  gov- 
ernment "  may  have  a  meaning  foreign  to  that  ex- 
pressed by  the  words  of  the  concession  under  which 
the  canal  was  made.  There  is  little  prospect  that 
this  most  important  artery  of  marine  travel  will 
ever  bring  substantial  benefit  to  the  Egyptian 
people.  Yielding  an  income  in  these  times  of  six- 
teen million  dollars  a  year,  the  Egyptians  would  be 
receiving  two  million  four  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars annually  from  the  stipulation  of  the  concession 
giving  them  fifteen  per  cent,  of  the  gross  revenue, 
had  not  Ismail  thrown  away  their  rights  in  his 
mad  craving  for  money. 

When  United  States  capital  and  skill  join  the 
Atlantic  with  the  Pacific,  let  the  canal  be  our 
own,  under  whatever  guaranties  of  its  neutrality 
in  time  of  war! 


217 


CHAPTER  VII 

ISMAIL  PASHA   AS   KHEDIVE   AND   EXILE 

BUT  for  two  great  errors  of  judgment,  Ismail 
might  have  ended  his  days  in  Cairo,  as  Egypt's 
khedive,  instead  of  in  Constantinople,  an  exile. 
The  first  and  greater  of  these  mistakes  was  the 
exaggerated  estimate  formed  of  the  resources  of 
Egypt.  Coming  to  power  at  a  time  when  the 
prices  of  agricultural  produce,  and  especially  of  cot- 
ton, were  unduly  inflated  by  the  Civil  War  in  the 
United  States,  he  sprang  to  the  conclusion  that  he 
could  indefinitely  draw  a  vast  tribute  from  the  Nile 
land.  He  claimed  proprietorship  of  twenty  per 
cent,  of  the  cultivable  acreage  of  the  country,  and 
what  was  not  his  belonged  to  his  subjects.  These 
beings,  he  argued,  were  his  indisputably,  soul,  body, 
and  all  that  belonged  to  them.  By  this  process  of 
reasoning  the  doughty  pasha  felt  that  "Ismail" 
and  "  Egypt "  were  synonymous  words. 

His  second  error  was  that  of  exciting  the  jeal- 
ousy and  ill  will  of  the  Sultan,  his  political  master. 
Had  Ismail  been  properly  advised,  neither  of  these 
mistakes  would  have  been  made,  and  his  history 
would  not  be  so  fraught  with  pathetic  contrasts. 
But  half-way  measures  were  unknown  to  him.    His 

218 


Ismail  as  Khedive  and  Exile 

generosities  were  as  magnificent  as  his  vices,  and 
he  consulted  neither  law  nor  reason  in  discharging 
his  khedival  prerogative,  for  he  was  a  law  unto 
himself. 

When  General  Sherman  informed  him  that 
American  military  men  could  give  Egypt  a  capable 
army,  he  brought  thirty  or  forty  of  these  specialists 
to  the  country  and  paid  them  lavishly,  instead  of 
fifteen  or  twenty  as  advised  by  the  great  general. 
When  Ismail  sent  a  wedding-gift  of  a  handful  of 
diamonds  to  General  Sherman's  daughter,  later  on, 
the  value  of  the  dazzling  jewels  was  found  to  be  so 
great  that  the  limited  Sherman  fortune  was  men- 
aced by  the  New  York  customs  collector.  Asked 
to  present  an  obelisk  to  New  York's  Central  Park, 
Ismail  promptly  authorized  the  removal  from 
Egypt  of  the  monolith  of  red  syenite  granite  that 
Julius  Caesar  had  brought  from  Heliopolis  to 
adorn  the  approach  to  the  Csesarean  temple  in 
Alexandria,  forgetful  of  the  fact  that  it  was  covered 
with  hieroglyphs  of  the  reigns  of  Thothmes  III, 
Rameses  the  Great,  and  Seti  II,  that  it  antedated 
the  Christian  era  fully  twelve  centuries,  and  was 
for  other  reasons  an  object  of  priceless  value  to 
students  of  Egyptology.  But  there  was  nothing 
petty  about  Ismail,  and  when  he  admired  a  nation 
as  he  did  the  American,  he  would  have  given  away 
a  pyramid  with  as  little  concern  as  he  would  a 
blooded  horse  from  his  stable. 

Ismail  was  born  in  Cairo  on  the  last  day  of  the 
year  1830,  and  died  on  March  2,  1895.  His  father 
was  the  warrior  son  of  Mehemet  Ali7"  Ibrahim 
2  I  9 


Present-Day  Egypt 

Pasha,  from  whom  he  inherited  that  reckless  cour- 
age so  discernible  in  every  important  action  of  his 
life.  Caution  and  prudence  were  altogether  over- 
shadowed by  the  daredevil  quality  descending 
from  men  knowing  only  the  law  of  the  sword. 
He  came  to  the  viceroyship  on  January  18,  1863, 
inheriting  from  Said,  his  uncle,  the  danmosa  liere- 
ditas  of  the  Suez  Canal.  Ismail  found  himself 
pledged  to  the  undertaking  of  his  predecessor,  and 
the  excuse  for  the  vast  debt  which  accumulated 
during  his  reign  may  partially  be  found  in  these 
obligations. 

Prince  Ismail  was  sent  to  Paris  in  1843  to  receive 
a  French  education,  and  was  authorized  to  attend 
the  classes  at  the  Polytechnique.  He  spent  every 
Thursday  evening  at  the  Tuileries,  and  generally 
dined  with  the  royal  family  on  Sundays.  He  had 
been  nearly  seven  years  in  the  French  capital  when, 
in  1849,  his  education  was  thought  to  be  completed, 
and  he  was  recalled  to  Egypt.  His  sojourn  in 
Paris  was  coincident  with  the  ferment  into  which 
the  railway  movement,  by  exciting  greed  to  the 
utmost,  had  thrown  all  France.  This  was  one  of 
the  underlying  causes  of  the  revolution  of  1848, 
which  Ismail  witnessed,  and  the  young  Egyptian 
went  home  with  his  head  filled  with  ideas  derived 
from  Louis  Philippe  and  his  courtiers. 

Being  learned  in  mathematics  and  all  the  sci- 
ences that  could  be  acquired  in  a  few  years,  Ismail 
thought  he  was  better  qualified  to  reign  in  Egypt 
than  his  uncles.  Said  and  Abbas— both  younger  sons 
of  Mehemet  Ali.    The  youthful  Comte  de  Paris, 

220 


OBELISK  AT  HELIOPOLIS. 


Ismail  as  Khedive  and  Exile 

figuring  as  prince  royal  and  taking  precedence  of 
his  uncles,  was  an  object-lesson  over  which  young 
Ismail  pondered,  for  he  was  full  of  the  idea  of  sub- 
stituting the  European  order  of  succession  for  the 
Mohammedan.  Yet  he  was  not  the  eldest  son  of 
Ibrahim  Pasha,  for  Achmet  was  the  first-born. 

Ismail  had  not  been  at  home  long  before  he  con- 
ceived a  fondness  for  Nubar,  a  crafty  and  accom- 
plished Armenian,  who  had  lived  on  the  viceroyal 
family  from  the  hour  that  he  was  appointed  reader 
to  Mehemet  Ali.  At  this  time  Nubar  was  director 
of  the  railways,  and  it  will  ever  be  suspected  that 
he  had  much  to  do  with  the  tragedy  that  placed 
Prince  Ismail  in  line  to  succeed  Viceroy  Said.  A 
special  train  was  ordered  to  convey  the  princes 
and  their  suites  from  Cairo  to  Alexandria,  where 
the  viceroy  was  to  give  a  great  garden-party. 
Strangely  enough,  Ismail  excused  himself  at  the 
last  moment  from  going,  on  a  plea  of  sudden  ill- 
ness, the  story  is  told,  while,  by  odd  coincidence, 
Nubar,  whose  duty  it  was,  as  head  of  the  railway 
administration,  to  accompany  the  princely  party, 
pretended,  just  as  the  train  was  about  to  steam  out 
of  the  station,  a  similar  indisposition,  which  forced 
him  to  remain  in  Cairo.  The  train,  in  addition  to 
carrying  the  heir  apparent,  also  conveyed  his  uncle. 
Prince  Halim.  It  proceeded  safely  on  its  way  until 
reaching  Kafr-Zayat,  a  point  about  half-way  between 
the  two  cities,  where  the  road  passes  over  a  draw- 
bridge spanning  one  of  the  arms  of  the  Nile.  As 
the  train  bearing  its  precious  freight  rushed  around 
the  curve  leading  to  the  bridge,  the  engineer  saw 

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Present-Day  Egypt 

to  his  horror  that  the  draw  was  open,  leaving  a 
yawning  space  over  the  muddy  and  eddying  waters 
forty  feet  below.  It  was  too  late  to  avoid  the  ca- 
tastrophe, and  the  whole  train  was  hurled  into  the 
river.  Halim  Pasha,  a  splendid  swimmer,  managed 
to  extricate  himself  from  the  wreck  and  get  ashore ; 
but  Achmet  was  drowned  in  his  compartment,  thus 
leaving  the  succession  to  the  throne  of  Egypt  clear 
for  his  younger  brother.  Nubar  found  himself 
disgraced  temporarily,  and  with  circumstantial 
evidence  pointing  to  him  as  a  murderer,  he  found 
it  prudent,  the  tale  runs,  to  betake  himself  to 
Europe.  As  soon  as  Ismail  ascended  the  throne, 
he  summoned  Nubar  Pasha  to  his  side,  and  named 
him  prime  minister,  besides  bestowing  magnificent 
presents  of  land  and  money  upon  the  friend  who, 
so  Cairo  gossips  say,  had  served  him  well. 

Another  instance  of  Ismail's  disregard  even  for 
human  life,  when  seeking  to  attain  an  important 
object,  was  furnished  by  the  taking  off  of  his 
quondam  favorite  known  as  the  "  Moufettish." 
This  functionary,  holding  the  purse-strings  of 
Ismail's  government,  was  living  in  a  splendor  at 
times  eclipsing  that  of  the  khedive  himself,  and  to 
do  this  was  plundering  the  people  and  the  official 
cash-box  with  a  recklessness  that  promised  to  has- 
ten the  impending  national  bankruptcy.  Whether 
this  man  was  more  the  dme  damme  or  the  pernicious 
counselor  of  his  master  is  a  point  never  fully  settled. 
In  all  probability  he  acted  in  both  capacities,  for 
which  liis  duplicity  and  cunning  quaUfied  him. 
Ismail,  having  made  certain  that  the  Moufettish 

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Ismail  as  Khedive  and  Exile 

was  robbing  him,  invited  him  to  Ghizereh  Palace  to 
discuss  affairs  of  state.  The  man  went,  as  he  had 
done  scores  of  times  before,  but  was  never  seen 
again.  A  small  government  steamer  started  that 
night  for  Upper  Egypt,  a  brief  notice  was  published 
to  the  effect  that  the  Mouf ettish  had  been  sent  on  an 
important  mission  to  the  southern  provinces,  and 
that  was  all.  The  opinion  was  that  the  minions  of 
the  khedive  strangled  him  as  soon  as  he  passed  the 
portals  of  the  palace,  and  that  his  corpse  was  car- 
ried to  the  bottom  of  the  Nile  so  carefully  weighted 
that  the  evidence  of  the  crime  would  be  concealed 
for  all  time.  The  palaces  of  the  dishonest  minister 
of  finance  were  confiscated,  and  his  harem  of  four 
hundi'ed  women  was  broken  up,  most  of  the  beau- 
ties being  sent  back  to  Europe.  The  tale  of  the 
Moufettish  ceased  years  ago  to  interest  Cairenes, 
and  is  now  resurrected  only  when  some  one  wishes 
to  show  the  summary  method  Ismail  Pasha  chose 
to  employ  in  dealing  with  an  official  who  had  be- 
trayed his  trust,  as  had  Saddik  Pasha. 

When  Ismail  came  into  power,  he  found  his  peo- 
ple living  in  the  middle  ages  of  orientalism,  but 
practically  free  from  debt.  Every  pound  of  cotton 
that  his  country  could  send  to  England  brought  a 
dollar ;  and  this  condition  spurred  Ismail  at  once  to 
set  to  work  to  develop  every  resource  of  the  Delta 
and  valley  of  the  Nile,— to  bring  Egypt  abreast  of 
the  Western  countries  that  he  had  visited,— with  a 
lordly  disregard  of  cost.  Railroads  were  built,  and 
bridges  and  docks  constructed;  sugar-factories 
sprang  up  along  the  Nile  like  mushrooms,  and  be- 

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Present-Day  Egypt 


fore  cane-cultivation  had  practically  begun;  new 
sections  of  Cairo  were  laid  out  and  the  land  donated 
to  those  promising  to  erect  houses ;  the  harbor  of 
Alexandria  was  deepened  and  enlarged ;  elaborate 
schemes  for  irrigation  were  organized ;  and,  in  fact, 
everything  appropriate  and  inapjDropriate  was  done 
to  transform  Egypt  into  a  part  of  Europe,  as  fiir 
as  enlightenment  and  prosperity  were  concerned. 
Money  was  borrowed  and  spent  blindly.  Much 
of  it  stuck  to  greedy  and  dishonest  hands,  and 
Ismail's  reign  may  be  said  to  have  been  the  golden 
age  for  the  most  clever  and  unscrupulous  adven- 
turers from  every  part  of  the  world.^ 

At  length  came  the  inevitable  day  of  reckoning. 
Egypt  was  no  longer  able  to  pay  the  interest  on 
the  enormous  foreign  debt  of  five  hundred  million 
dollars  that  had  been  piled  up  in  the  space  of  a  few 
years.  When  the  khedive  made  known  the  fact 
that  the  interest  coupons  on  the  debt  could  no 
longer  be  paid  in  their  entirety,  the  governments 
of  Germany,  England,  and  France  stepped  in,  on 
behalf  of  their  subjects  who  had  invested  their  sav- 
ings in  Egyptian  state  bonds.    They  protested  that 

1  "  Generous  and  open-banded,  Ismail's  mania  was  giving ;  his  gi'eat 
fault,  never  to  think  of  the  liabilities  incurred.     In  accepting  the 
financial  aid  of  the  Continent,  he  did  not  discern  the  political  conse- 
quences, nor  the  jealous  intrigues  which  were  to  turn  his  monetary 
difficiilties  into  a  source  of  international  meddling  and  encroachment. 
Blindfolded,  he  allowed  himself  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  money- 
lenders ;  from  high  to  low,  all  Continental  usurers  threw  themselves 
upon  Egypt  as  an  easy  prey.     So  long  as  he  had  securities  to  of 
the  anterooms  of  his  ministers  were  overcrowded  with  bankers 
ious  to  lend  him  millions  at  a  percentage  prohibited  by  the  penal 
of  their  own  country.  .  .  .  Cringing  as  long  as  they  could  hope.i 

226 


Ismail  as  Khedive  and  Exile 

Egypt  was  solvent,  whereupon  Ismail  invited  them 
to  appoint  a  commission  to  investigate  the  financial 
condition  of  his  country.  This  commission  proved 
his  ruin ;  for,  while  it  acknowledged  that  the  coun- 
try was  unable  to  pay  the  rate  of  interest  until  then 
demanded,  and  reduced  it  from  seven  to  four  per 
cent.,  it  likewise  declared  that  the  economic  crisis 
was  due  wholly  to  the  extravagance  of  Ismail. 

To  prove  his  good  will  and  patriotism,  the  khe- 
dive  surrendered  private  estates  and  plantations  to 
the  value  of  twenty-five  million  dollars ;  but  this 
was  not  all  that  the  foreign  governments  and  bond- 
holders demanded.  They  insisted  on  further  sac- 
rifices, not  only  of  a  financial  but  also  of  a  political 
character,  to  which  the  khedive  could  not  agree ; 
whereupon  they  invited  the  aid  of  the  Sultan,  who 
had  always  resented  the  spirit  of  independence 
displayed  by  his  powerful  vassal,  and  obtained  a 
firman  deposing  Ismail,  and  placing  on  the  throne 
his  eldest  son,  Prince  Tewfik.  This  was  in  the  clos- 
ing days  of  June,  in  1879 ;  and  within  a  week  of 
his  degradation  Ismail  left  Egypt  for  Naples. 

To  the  last,  Ismail  seemed  unconscious  of  having 

something  out  of  him,  they  continued  to  push  him  to  take  their  gold, 
and  to  mortgage  Egypt,  to  pawn  his  state  and  his  private  properties 
up  to  their  utmost  value,  renewing  greedily  his  bonds  until  they 
found  it  more  advantageous  to  liquidate  his  estate.  Had  his  been 
the  case  of  an  ordinary  mortal,  a  court  of  law  would  have  reduced 
the  outrageous  claims  to  fair  and  just  proportions.  But  he  was  a 
sovereign,  and  his  creditors  were  the  kings  of  Jews,  or  rather  the 
Jews  of  kings,  and  powerful  enough  to  bring  to  bear  the  authority  of 
their  respective  governments  to  enforce  their  claims  by  every  means 
available."— Baron  de  Malortie,  in  "Native  Eulers  and  Foreign  In- 
terference." 

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Present-Day  Egypt 

committed  wasteful  extravagance,  and  only  a  few 
hours  before  his  final  departure  from  Cairo  pleaded 
guilty  to  but  one  piece  of  lavish  expenditure— that 
of  the  colossal  sum  devoted  to  the  Suez  Canal  fetes. 
Ismail  did  not  leave  his  country  empty-handed. 
Though  he  had  hoped  to  remain  in  power,  yet  he 
was  prepared  for  an  adverse  decision  at  Constan- 
tinople before  the  receipt  of  the  fateful  telegram. 
He  caused  portable  articles  of  value  in  his  many 
palaces— and  they  were  veritable  treasure-houses — 
to  be  prepared  for  shipment,  and  it  was  estimated 
that  these  belongings  were  worth  millions  of  dol- 
lars. The  women  of  the  harem  were  compelled  to 
hand  over  their  jewelry,  and  thus  he  obtained  a 
quantity  of  property  easily  convertible  into  cash. 
Seventy  of  the  harem  women  were  selected  to 
accompany  the  exile.  Those  to  be  left  behind  did 
not  relish  the  situation,  and  they  are  said  to  have 
shown  their  displeasure  by  smashing  mirrors  and 
articles  of  a  fragile  nature,  as  only  a  thousand  an- 
gry women  could.  Ismail's  reign  had  been  an  orgy 
of  despotic  plunder,  so  to  speak,  and  when  he  had 
no  throne  to  sit  upon,  or  palaces  to  occupy  as  mas- 
ter, he  appropriated  and  carried  off  as  nmch  of  the 
khedival  property  as  the  time  and  facilities  at  his 
command  permitted.  A  long  baggage-train  was 
packed  with  pictures  and  cabinets,  dinner-services 
and  rare  carpets,  bronzes  and  silver  candelabra, 
and  plate  of  solid  gold,  much  of  it  inlaid  with 
jewels.  At  Alexandria  everything  was  hurried  on 
board  the  yacht  Maliroussa.,  a  steamer  as  big  as  an 
Atlantic  liner.    Ismail  followed  in  a  special  train, 

230 


Ismail  as  Khedive  and  Exile 

with  two  of  his  sons,  a  small  suite  of  attendants, 
and  the  chosen  ladies  of  the  harem.  As  soon  as  the 
passengers  were  on  board,  the  yacht  started  for 
Italy. 

^-At  Naples  the  ex-khedive  occupied  a  royal  palace 
and  maintained  a  pretentious  court.  He  made  fre- 
quent excursions  to  Paris,  where  his  fat,  dumpy 
figure  and  intelligent  face,  surmounted  by  an  un- 
usually large  tarboosh,  were  familiar  to  habitues  of 
the  boulevards ;  for  Ismail  was  very  fond  of  sitting 
for  hours  at  a  time  at  one  of  the  little  tables  in 
front  of  the  Cafe  de  la  Paix,  sipping  coffee  and 
watching  the  passing  throng.  Tortoni's  was  an- 
other of  his  haunts ;  and  there,  too,  he  would  sip 
his  coffee  by  the  hour,  musing,  perhaps,  on  the 
proud  empire  that  had  passed  away,  and  which,  in 
its  fall,  had  crushed  his  friend  Napoleon  III,  driv- 
ing him  likewise  to  an  exile  from  which  he  could 
never  return. 

The  wanderer  grew  in  time  to  dislike  Naples; 
the  neighborhood  of  Vesuvius  affected  the  nerves 
of  the  ladies  of  his  household,  and  all  wanted  to  go 
elsewhere.  His  pleading  with  the  Sultan  for  per- 
mission to  visit  Constantinople  was  finally  favored, 
and  he  was  later  "  induced  "  to  establish  himself  in 
a  pretty  palace  on  the  European  side  of  the  Bos- 
porus, where  he  might  the  better  be  watched  by 
the  Sultan  and,  possibly,  the  British  government. 
As  he  was  a  vain  man,  he  suffered  greatly  from 
being  deposed,  and  for  years  was  hopeful  that  he 
might  be  permitted  to  return  to  the  khedivate.  But 
when  he  realized  at  Constantinople  that  he  was  a 

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Present-Day  Egypt 

prisoner  in  a  gilded  cage  he  surrendered  himself  to 
the  situation  and  made  the  best  of  it. 

A  few  years  after  his  deposition,  Ismail  pre- 
sented to  the  Egyptian  government  a  claim  for 
twenty-five  million  dollars,  alleged  to  be  the  value 
of  personal  property  he  had  been  deprived  of  by 
his  expulsion  from  the  country,  and  more  than  half 
this  amount  was  secured  for  him  through  the 
efforts  of  his  counsel.  Sir  William  Marriott. 

Like  most  imaginative  persons,  Ismail  possessed 
a  keen  sense  of  humor,  which  disappointments  and 
troubles  did  not  altogether  smother.  It  is  related 
that  when  in  the  midst  of  the  depression  following 
the  French  emperor's  surprising  award  over  the 
canal  matter,  a  certain  European  was  having  an 
audience  with  him  at  Abdin  Palace,  to  discuss  some- 
thing connected  with  the  khedive's  financial  opera- 
tions; although  the  temperature  was  ideal,  with 
not  a  breath  of  wind  stirring,  Ismail  was  observed 
to  rise  from  his  divan  in  the  midst  of  the  conference 
and  close  a  window  behind  the  caller.  "  Monsei- 
gneur,  why  did  you  do  that ! "  asked  a  friend  who 
had  witnessed  the  incident.  "  Because,"  answered 
the  khedive,  "  if  that  sharper  could  allege  that  he 
had  sat  in  a  draft  and  caught  cold  in  my  palace,  it 
would  take  at  least  a  quarter  of  a  million  francs 
to  meet  the  demand  that  he  would  make  for  satis- 
faction. I  am  beginning  to  understand  these  Euro- 
pean business  gentlemen,"  he  added  sadly. 

In  examining  the  correspondence  files  in  the 
American  diplomatic  agency  in  Cairo,  I  came  upon 
a  record  that  served  as  a  vivid  illustration  of 

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Ismail  as  Khedive  and  Exile 

Ismail's  love  for  doing  things  that  would  attract 
notice  and  make  talk.  It  was  a  document  relating 
how  one  of  my  predecessors,  twenty  or  twenty- 
five  years  before,  having  business  at  Ras-el-Teen 
Palace  in  Alexandi'ia,  was  invited  to  defer  his  re- 
turn to  the  capital,  and  dine  that  night  with  the 
khedive.  The  American  representative  stated  that 
he  was  unprepared,  having  brought  no  evening 
dress.  "  That  will  be  all  right,"  exclaimed  his 
Highness.  "At  seven  o'clock  you  will  find  your 
clothes  at  your  hotel."  A  telegram  was  despatched 
from  the  palace  to  Cairo,  and  a  special  messenger, 
traveling  by  special  train,  brought  the  desired  rai- 
ment. It  cost  somebody — probably  the  Egyptian 
taxpayer— a  considerable  sum  for  running  the  train 
a  hundred  and  thirty  miles,  and  was  wholly  unne- 
cessary, for  the  resources  of  Alexandria  could  have 
produced  a  dozen  suits  of  evening  garments  in  no 
time.  But  that  was  Ismail's  way  of  doing  things. 
In  Ismail's  character  there  was  little  that  could 
be  commended,  yet  one  could  not  wholly  withhold 
admiration  for  his  grandeur  of  thought  and  intre- 
pidity of  action.  He  was  a  ruler  of  magnificent 
but  inchoate  ideas,  in  which  he  often  got  bewil- 
dered; and  he  invariably  embarked  in  enterprises 
without  thinking  of  the  cost.  To  deal  adequately 
with  a  character  so  regal,  egotistic,  masterful,  and 
subtle,  to  extenuate  nothing,  and  at  the  same  time 
set  nothing  down  in  malice,  is  a  task  not  easily 
performed.  He  certainly  left  his  impress  on  his- 
tory, and  had  he  not  lived  it  is  doubtful  if  Cairo 
would  to-day  be  half  as  acceptable  to  its  winter 


Present- Day  Egypt 

sojourners.  There  might  be  no  opera,  no  boule- 
vards, no  Ghizereh  drive,  and  no  Teal  comfort. 
What  he  did  for  the  city  might  be  compared  to 
what  "  Boss  "  Shepard  did  for  Washington,  "  Boss  " 
Tweed  for  New  York,  and  Napoleon  III  and  Hauss- 
mann  for  Paris.  In  his  brief  rule  of  sixteen  years 
Ismail  incurred  for  his  people  a  debt  of  more  than 
four  hundred  and  fifty  million  dollars— a  greater 
obligation  than  any  other  person  that  ever  lived  has 
succeeded  in  creating;  but  to  accomplish  this  he 
mortgaged  the  souls  of  generations  of  Egyptians 
yet  unborn. 

Half  the  royalties  of  Europe  helped  Ismail  to 
spend  twenty-one  million  dollars  in  celebrating  in 
Cairo  the  opening  of  the  Suez  Canal.  The  opera 
of  "Aida"  was  composed  to  his  order,  and  pro- 
duced as  an  incident  to  the  entertainment  of  the 
Empress  Eugenie  and  other  guests.  When  it  was 
discovered  that  there  was  no  suitable  building  in 
the  capital  for  the  opera's  production,  the  khedive 
ordered  the  present  opera-house  to  be  erected. 
Workmen  toiling  day  and  night  accomplished  this 
in  a  few  weeks.  "  Aida  "  had  a  cast  composed  of 
the  greatest  singers  of  the  period,  the  Egyptian 
Museum  was  ransacked  for  jewels  and  "  properties  " 
to  be  employed  in  its  production,  and  so  delighted 
was  the  Egyptian  ruler  with  the  work  of  the  com- 
poser that  Verdi  was  handed  a  purse  of  thirty 
thousand  dollars  after  the  opera's  first  presenta- 
tion. Mariette  Bey,  the  savant  in  Egyptology, 
occupied  himself  with  the  reconstitution  of  the  era 
of  the  Pharaohs,  and  it  is  to  his  skill  and  learning 

236 


Ismail  as  Khedive  and  Exile 

that  opera-goers  owe  their  enjoyment  of  the  marvel- 
ous picture  of  the  temple  of  Ptah  in  the  second  act. 
Perhaps  no  opera  was  ever  put  on  the  stage  in  such 
elaborate  fashion  or  with  such  scrupulous  regard 
for  archaeological  accuracy.  Planned  to  stand  but 
a  few  months,  the  theater  has  since  been  the  home  • 
of  opera  in  Cairo,  and  Verdi's  masterpiece  is  given 
therein  several  times  every  winter.  The  com- 
poser's original  manuscript  of  "  Aida  "  is  among  the 
treasured  archives  of  the  opera-house. 

It  was  Ismail's  di*eam  to  make  an  Oriental  Paris'"^ 
of  Cairo.    The  French  metropohs,  he  argued,  could      j 
be  reproduced :  it  was  simply  a  question  of  finance^/^ 
A  goodly  portion  of  the  money  borrowed  by  the 
khedive  was  spent  at  Gizeh,  nearly  opposite  the 
spot  where  tradition  says  Moses  was  found  in  the 
bulrushes.     Half  a  dozen  lath-and-plaster  struc- 
tures, with  walls  painted  in  a  style   suggesting 
solidity,  went  up  there,  with  accompanying  gardens 
like  the  Tuileries  ranging  from  the  Nile  nearly  to 
the  Libyan  desert.     One  of  Ismail's  ruling  passions 
was  for  building  palaces,  and  another  found  expres- 
sion in  the  way  he  surrounded  himself  with  every- 
thing deemed  fitting  to  the  court  of  a  mighty  per- 
sonage—a king  among  kings. 

To  this  day,  hidden  away  in  Cairo  cellars,  are 
miles  of  iron  fencing  made  to  his  order  in  Europe, 
a  conspicuous  feature  of  whose  ornamentation  is^ 
the  royal  cipher  "  I.  R.,"  surmounted  by  a  monarch's 
crown.  This  was  to  inclose  palace  domains,  and 
the  design  had  been  agreed  upon  in  anticipation  of  ^ 
the  successful  outcome  of  negotiations  pending  at 

237 


Present-Day  Egypt 

Constantinople  for  absolute  independence.  So  cer- 
tain was  Ismail  Pasha  of  positive  rulership,  perhaps 
deceived  by  the  wily  Nubar,  who  was  concerned  in 
the  negotiations,  that  it  is  related  that  a  banquet 
was  given  to  a  group  of  favorite  functionaries  in 
celebration  of  the  news  that  he  believed  was  forth- 
coming from  the  Sublime  Porte — that  the  Sultan 
had  at  last  consented  to  give  him  full  sovereignty 
of  the  Nile  country.  The  dinner  was  Lucullian  in 
character,  each  dish  a  gastronomic  triumph,  and 
the  program  called  for  a  surpris  at  the  end  of 
the  feast.  What  it  was  to  be,  only  the  khedive  and 
his  chef  knew.  Clothed  in  immaculate  white  satin, 
the  chef,  wielding  an  enormous  wooden  knife,  lifted 
the  crust  of  a  huge  pie  placed  in  the  middle  of  the 
festal  board,  and  out  stepped  a  sprite  in  pink  flesh- 
ings, dainty  of  face  and  form.  With  simulated  be- 
wilderment, she  scanned  for  a  moment  the  faces  of 
those  at  table,  and,  her  choice  decided  upon,  she 
stepped  over  dishes  and  decorations  to  the  head  of 
the  table,  and  placed  a  kingly  crown  upon  the  brow 
of  Ismail. 

But  an  edict  of  another  sort  issued  from  Con- 
stantinople, and  a  few  weeks  after  the  historical 
feast  Ismail  was  sent  away  from  Egypt,  never  again 
to  see  his  beloved  capital.  When  dying,  he  pleaded 
to  be  taken  back  to  Egypt;  but  not  until  he  was 
dead  was  the  consent  of  the  Sultan  and  the  powers 
granted. 

A  specially  chartered  steamship  brought  the 
body  of  Ismail,  accompanied  by  Princes  Hussein 
and  Fouadjhis  sons,  from  Constantinople  to  Alexan- 

238 


Ismail  as  Khedive  and  Exile 

dria.  The  obsequies  in  Cairo  (March  12, 1895)  were 
marked  by  all  possible  pomp  and  circumstance. 
Funeral  pageants  and  the  stately  etiquette  of  Euro- 
pean court  mourning  are  entirely  foreign  to  the 
spirit  of  Islam ;  but  the  Egyptian  capital  has  long 
been  accustomed  to  compromises,  which  are  la- 
mented only  by  the  strictest  Mohammedans. 

At  an  early  hour  in  the  forenoon  the  funeral 
procession,  which  must  have  numbered  ten  thou- 
sand people,  began  to  muster  near  the  new  railway- 
station,  in  one  of  the  private  rooms  of  which  the 
coffin  had  rested  through  the  night,  watched  over 
by  old  retainers  of  the  dead  pasha.  Egyptian  and 
British  troops  lined  the  sides  of  the  streets  from  the 
station,  past  Shepheard'sand  the  opera-house,  up  the 
Boulevard  Mehemet  Ali,  to  the  Rafai  mosque  under 
the  citadel.  Along  the  whole  route,  a  distance  of 
three  miles,  the  pavement,  windows,  balconies,  and 
housetops  were  thronged  with  spectators,  blending 
the  bright  colors  of  the  East  with  the  more  som- 
ber raiment  of  the  West.  But,  save  for  a  few  flags 
draped  with  crape,  and  the  shrill  lamentations  here 
and  there  of  native  women,  it  was  difficult  to  real- 
ize that  this  chattering,  laughing,  indifferent  crowd 
was  gathered  together  to  witness  a  pageant  of 
death. 

The  procession  itself,  which  defiled  for  almost  an 
hour  in  one  unbroken  column,  presented  the  same 
strange  contrasts,  the  same  curious  jumble  of 
Eastern  and  Western  life.  Its  very  composition 
reflected  all  the  anomalies  of  modern  Egypt.  Be- 
hind detachments  of  mounted  police  and  Egyptian 

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Present-Day  Egypt 

cavalry  came  Major-General  Sir  Herbert  Kitchener, 
the  sirdar  of  the  Egyptian  army,  with  his  staff- 
unmistakably  English  in  spite  of  their  Egyptian 
uniforms.  Immediately  behind  them  walked  read- 
ers of  the  Koran,  reciting  the  sacred  verses  in  a 
high  nasal  chant;  deputations  from  the  native 
guilds  and  corporations,  bearing  flags  and  banners 
with  embroidered  religious  devices ;  descendants  of 
the  prophet,  in  green  turbans  and  flowing  robes ; 
mollas  and  ulema,  in  long  caftans ;  dervishes,  in  tall 
felt  hats ;  students  from  El-Azhar— in  fact,  the  mili- 
tant and  uncompromising  Islam  in  all  its  old-world 
picturesqueness.  Then,  in  sharp  contrast  to  the 
medieval  scholasticism  of  the  great  Mussulman 
university,  came  hundreds  of  black-coated  boys 
and  youths  from  the  modern  schools  and  colleges, 
with  their  European  teachers.  Behind  them  again, 
in  curious  alternation,  walked  native  and  European 
notables :  judges  from  the  native  and  international 
courts ;  gold-laced  pashas  and  beys ;  British  officials, 
in  the  Stambouline  coat,  indicating  their  Egyptian 
employment ;  the  six  European  commissioners  of  the 
public  debt ;  long-robed  clergy  of  the  different  de- 
nominations, and  rabbis  of  the  Jewish  community ; 
and  red-coated  officers  of  the  British  army  of  oc- 
cupation, led  by  General  Sir  Frederick  Forestier 
Walker. 

Behind  this  medley  of  humanity  walked  the  diplo- 
matic corps,  headed  by  the  doyen  of  the  body.  Lord 
Cromer.  Save  the  United  States  diplomatic  agent 
and  his  secretary,  all  were  in  the  spectacular  uni- 
forms prescribed  by  their  governments,  gold  lace, 

242 


Ismail  as  Khedive  and  Exile 

feathers,  and  orders  of  chivalry  making  them  doubly 
conspicuous.  It  seemed  to  me  that  the  black  ci- 
vilian garb  of  a  diplomatic  official  of  the  great  re- 
public harmonized  with  the  ceremonial  better  than 
the  gorgeous  costumes  of  the  representatives  of 
divine-right  rulers.  Had  a  United  States  congress- 
man seen  the  procession  from  Shepheard's  terrace, 
I  am  certain  he  would  have  returned  to  the  halls 
of  legislation  a  lifelong  opponent  of  the  movement 
to  dress  our  foreign  representatives  in  tinseled 
coats  and  cocked  hats. 

Next  to  the  diplomatic  and  consular  body  came 
the  khedival  ministers,  and  the  English  advisers 
for  finance,  justice,  and  the  interior;  and  then 
came  Khedive  Abbas,  walking  with  Ghazi  Moukh- 
tar  Pasha,  the  Ottoman  high  commissioner  (the 
hero  of  Kars),  at  his  side.  Following  his  Highness 
were  fully  thirty  princes  of  the  khedival  family. 
Behind  these  mourners  and  the  household  of  the 
deceased  ex-khedive,  a  double  row  of  youths  sj^rin- 
kled  perfumes  and  burned  incense  in  front  of  the 
coffin.  Covered  with  an  embroidered  pall,  on 
which  were  displayed  the  uniform  and  decorations 
of  the  deceased,  the  mortal  remains  of  Ismail  were 
borne  on  the  shoulders  of  twenty  troopers  from  the 
khedival  body-guard,  hard  pressed  by  a  weird 
crowd  of  female  mourners,  rending  the  air  with 
their  shrieks  of  woe.  Another  body  of  troops,  with 
arms  reversed,  closed  the  strange  pageant. 

The  ladies  and  women  attendants  of  the  ex-khe- 
dive's  harem,  to  the  number  of  some  eight  hundred, 
had  expressed  their  intention  of  following  bare- 

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Present-Day  Egypt 


footed  the  remains  of  their  former  lord  and  master ; 
but  orders  from  Abdin  Palace  ultimately  forbade 
so  public  a  manifestation  of  their  grief.  For  fully 
a  week  before  the  funeral  there  had  been  a  nightly 
"  wake  "  at  Kasr  el- Ali  Palace  by  these  women. 

When  abreast  of  the  heroic  statue  of  Ibrahim 
Pasha,  Ismail's  father,  in  the  opera  square,  Khedive 
Abbas  left  the  cortege,  and  was  taken  to  Abdin  by 
carriage.  The  diplomatic  body  and  many  of  the 
Europeans  left  the  procession  at  the  same  time, 
while  the  thousands  wended  their  way  slowly  to  the 
mosque  of  Sultan  Hassan,  where  the  usual  prayers 
were  recited,  and  then  to  the  mosque  of  Rafai, 
opposite.  There,  beside  the  tombs  of  his  mother  and 
two  of  his  daughters,  Ismail  was  finally  laid  to  rest 
in  the  mausoleum  which  he  had  designed  for  him- 
self, but  which  will  probably  never  be  completed. 
The  foundations  of  the  huge  pile  are  already  show- 
ing signs  of  subsidence— a  monument  perhaps  not 
altogether  inappropriate  to  the  man  whose  life, 
after  a  brief  period  of  artificial  splendor,  ebbed 
drearily  away  amid  the  ruins  of  his  shattered  am- 
bitions. Ismail  had  planned  to  have  the  new  Rafai 
mosque  eclipse  in  beauty  and  vastness  the  Sultan 
Hassan  mosque,  long  regarded  as  the  most  perfect 
example  of  architecture  in  the  Mussulman  world; 
but  his  financial  disaster  interrupted  the  work  when 
only  the  outer  walls  and  roof  had  been  completed. 


244 


CHAPTER  VIII 

TEWriK  PASHA  AND  THE  AEABI  REBELLION 

FEW  events  in  modern  history  are  more  pa- 
thetically dramatic  than  the  substitution  of 
Tewfik  for  Ismail.  The  Turkish  grand  vizir  des- 
patched two  telegrams  to  Cairo  on  June  26,  1879. 
One  was  to  "  Ismail  Pasha,  ex-Khedive  of  Egypt " ; 
the  other  to  Mohammed  Tewfik,  his  son.  In  the 
former  it  was  stated  that  his  Imperial  Majesty  the 
Sultan,  as  the  result  of  a  decision  of  his  council  of 
ministers,  had  formally  decided  to  request  Ismail's 
retirement  from  the  khedivate,  in  favor  of  the  next 
in  succession,  his  Highness  Tewfik  Pasha,  and  that 
the  irade  to  this  effect  had  been  issued.  While 
Ismail  was  reading  this  decree  at  Abdin  Palace, 
the  son  was  reading  the  other  message  at  his  coun- 
try-seat a  few  miles  out  of  Cairo,  to  the  effect  that 
"his  Imperial  Majesty  the  Sultan  has  named  you 
by  imperial  irade  Khedive  of  Egypt,  and  the  fir- 
man will  be  delivered  to  you  with  the  customary 
ceremonial.  Convoke  the  ulema  and  functiona- 
ries, the  chief  men  of  the  country,  and  the  gov- 
ernment employees,  and  communicate  to  them 
the  stipulations  of  the  decree  relative  to  your  suc- 
cession, and  at  once  relieve  his  Highness  Ismail 

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Present-Day  Egypt 


Pasha  from  the  direction  of  the  affairs  of  the 
government." 

It  was  a  matter  of  great  importance  to  be  ar- 
ranged by  telegraph,  this  change  of  rulership  in 
almost  independent  Egypt ;  but  thus  it  was  done. 
The  Sultan's  aversion  to  the  mysterious  electric 
current  is  known  to  exclude  the  telephone,  the 
electric  light,  and  even  the  trolley-car  from  Con- 
stantinople ;  but  in  matters  of  state,  when  urgent, 
his  Majesty  is  a  liberal  enough  user  of  telegraph 
and  cable. 

In  Eastern  countries  it  is  a  coveted  privilege  to 
convey  good  news  to  any  one.  I  have  the  story  of 
the  telegrams  from  a  distinguished  journalist  who 
was  behind  the  scenes  in  the  abdication  affair.  He 
describes,  with  some  license,  perhaps,  the  conster- 
nation at  Abdin  when  the  message  was  delivered 
with  the  words  "ex-khedive"  so  boldly  penned  on 
the  envelop  that  there  could  be  no  mistaking  the 
purport  of  the  inclosure.  The  grand  master  of 
ceremonies  would  as  soon  have  fondled  a  viper; 
and  one  and  all  of  his  assistants  thought  of  press- 
ing matters  demanding  their  presence  in  other 
parts  of  the  palace.  The  keeper  of  the  seals  said 
emphatically  that  the  delivering  of  telegrams  was 
no  part  of  his  duty ;  and  the  officer  of  the  khedival 
guard  could  not  be  cajoled  into  doing  this  errand. 
Everybody  agreed  that  a  message  to  his  Highness 
at  this  particular  time  must  be  a  matter  of  state, 
and  no  one  of  less  rank  than  a  minister  could  ap- 
propriately have  anything  to  do  with  it. 

At  this  moment  bluff  old  Cherif  Pasha,  peren- 
246 


Tewfik  and  the  Arabi  Rebellion 

nially  minister  of  this  or  that,  strode  into  the  pal- 
ace. With  some  reluctance  he  consented  to  take 
the  fateful  telegram  up-stairs  to  the  khedive. 
Ismail's  face  changed  a  little  as  he  read  it.  "  Send 
at  once  for  his  Highness  Tewfik  Pasha,"  was  all  he 
said.  Then  he  folded  the  message  and  laid  it  on 
the  table  by  his  side.  A  moment  later  he  handed 
the  bit  of  paper  to  Cherif  to  read,  saying  as  he  did 
so :  "I  can't  go  to  the  investiture ;  I  do  not  think 
that  can  be  expected  of  me.  But  I  shall  be  the 
first  to  salute  the  new  khedive  of  Egypt,  and  wish 
for  him  a  more  successful  reign  than  his  father  has 
had."  Then,  drawing  the  table  nearer,  he  said  to 
Cherif  Pasha :  "  Now  we  will  have  a  game  of  back- 
gammon." 

Tewfik's  message  was  hurried  full  tilt  from  the 
telegraph  office,  the  messenger  making  a  record  for 
speed,  wondering  as  he  ran  if  he  would  be  made  a 
pasha  or  a  bey. 

True  to  the  habit  of  punctilious  politeness  ac- 
quired in  France,  Ismail  determined  to  maintain 
his  savoir-faire  in  the  hour  of  adversity.  He 
quickly  cabled  to  Constantinople  that  he  submitted 
to  the  will  of  his  sovereign  Sultan ;  and,  Tewfik 
Pasha  arriving  at  the  palace  shortly  after,  Ismail 
is  said  to  have  greeted  him  with  the  words,  "I 
salute  my  effendina,"  bowing  low  to  his  successor 
and  covering  his  hands  with  the  kisses  of  sub- 
mission. 

Tewfik's  account  of  what  passed  immediately  fol- 
lowing the  greeting  in  their  altered  stations  is  told 
by  Alfred  J.  Butler,  an  English  tutor  in  the  Tewfik 

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Present-Day  Egypt 

household,  in  his  volume  of  reminiscences  of  court 
life  in  Egypt.  "  When  I  came  to  the  throne,"  Tew- 
fik  is  reported  to  have  said,  "  I  received  the  news 
without  joy.  Sympathy  with  my  father's  fall,  and 
the  great  sense  of  responsibility,  left  me  no  room 
for  rejoicing.  After  my  father's  courtly  salutation, 
acknowledging  me  as  his  effendina,  he  heaped  re- 
proaches upon  me  and  accused  me  of  having  at  last 
intrigued  successfully.  I  then  produced  two  letters 
from  one  of  his  former  ministers,  received  when  I 
was  acting  as  regent,  in  his  absence  from  the  coun- 
try. These  offered  me  the  support  of  the  army ;  and 
if  I  consented  to  the  minister's  plot,  it  was  proposed 
to  destroy  the  khedival  yacht  when  it  returned  to 
Alexandria,  sending  Ismail  to  the  bottom  of  the 
harbor.  My  father  read  these  letters,  and  was  much 
moved.  He  then  kissed  me  affectionately,  saying, 
'  Forgive  me,  my  son,  forgive  me ! ' " 

Prince  Tewfik  was  perhaps  ten  years  of  age  when 
Ismail  became  viceroy.  He  was  born  in  1852,  and 
his  mother  w^as  an  attendant  slave  in  Ismail's  harem. 
Her  princely  master  acknowledged  the  child  and 
added  its  mother  to  his  list  of  lawful  wives,  com- 
pleting the  quota  of  four  allowed  by  his  religion. 
Other  sons  were  born  to  Ismail  shortly  after,  but 
no  amount  of  intriguing  on  the  part  of  their 
mothers  could  alter  the  fact  that  the  child  brought 
into  the  world  by  the  harem  slave  was  their  liege 
lord's  first-born  and  heir.  Ismail  from  the  first 
could  not  conceal  his  dislike  of  Tewfik ;  but  he  dis- 
liked even  more  his  uncle,  Halim.  In  applying 
liberal  largess  at  Stamboul  to  procure  a  firman  pro- 

248 


Meliemit  Aii  I'iish;!. 
Abb.is  Paslia. 
Ismail  Pasha. 


Ibrahim  Pasha. 
Saiil  I'asha. 
Tewtilv  Pasha. 


PREDECESSORS  OF  KHEDIVE  ABBAS  II. 


Tewfik  and  the  Arabi  Rebellion 

viding  for  the  khedival  succession  from  father  to 
eldest  son,  he  believed,  doubtless,  that  he  was  pay- 
ing his  money  for  the  lesser  of  two  evils;  and, 
besides,  fate  might  remove  Prince  Tewfik,  the  in- 
truder, permitting  the  son  of  his  favorite  wife  to 
become  heir  apparent. 

While  the  other  sons  were  sent  to  schools  and 
colleges  in  England  and  France,  Tewfik  was  kept 
at  home,  and  little  effort  was  made  to  give  him 
more  than  the  educational  advantages  that  would 
fall  to  the  son  of  any  well-to-do  Egyptian  gentle- 
man. He  once  ventured  abroad,  traveling  as  far 
as  Vienna ;  but  the  breaking  out  of  the  Franco-Ger- 
man War  caused  him  to  return  to  Cairo,  and  shortly 
thereafter  he  found  himself  installed  at  Koubbeh, 
with  a  spouse  so  devoted  and  good  that  he  was 
happy  to  lead  the  life  of  a  country  squire,  and 
leave  court  intrigue  and  politics  to  those  caring  for 
them.  His  princess  was  the  daughter  of  a  man  of 
position,  descended  from  Mehemet  Ali,  and  she 
possessed  a  mind  and  character  of  an  order  unusual 
in  the  East. 

Tewfik  never  availed  himself  of  the  Moslem  right 
to  give  rivals  to  the  Princess  Emine  in  the  way 
of  other  wives.  He  was  an  affectionate  husband 
and  a  model  landlord.  He  took  a  great  interest  in 
the  cause  of  education,  and  established  schools  at 
his  own  expense,  to  which  not  only  his  own  two  sons 
were  sent,  but  the  sons  of  the  gentry  and  officials 
as  well.  The  educating  of  children  was  his  great- 
est hobby. 

Ismail  had  always  played  as  recklessly  with  the 

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Present-Day  Egypt 

tenets  of  the  Koran  as  with  other  things,  and  de- 
lighted to  jeer  at  the  strictness  with  which  Tewfik 
discharged  his  religious  duties,  telling  him  he  should 
adopt  European  modes  of  thinking  and  living. 
"When  you  come  to  the  throne,  pretend  to  be  a 
good  Mussulman,  like  me;  it  is  good  policy,  and 
the  people  will  like  you  for  it,"  was  the  father's 
flippant  advice.  When  Tewfik,  on  the  day  he  took 
upon  himself  the  responsibilities  of  the  khedivate, 
went  in  state  to  the  mosque  and  prayed  with  the 
faithful,  Ismail  is  reported  to  have  remarked :  "  You 
are  acting  the  Moslem  very  well."  The  son  replied : 
"  Yes,  sire ;  but  I  am  truly  sincere." 

Tewfik  came  to  the  khedivate  when  it  had  been 
shorn  of  three  fourths  of  its  power ;  and  anxious  as 
he  was  to  use  his  prerogative  for  the  best  interests 
of  his  people,  the  new  khedive  found  himself  nearly 
as  helpless  as  Gulliver  bound  hand,  foot,  and  body 
by  the  Lilliputians.  The  influence  forceful  enough 
to  remove  Ismail  had  likewise  been  sufficiently  po- 
tent to  establish  the  dual  control,  by  which  England 
and  France  had  taken  j)ossession  of  the  finances. 
In  no  country  in  the  world  is  everything  more 
vitally  dependent  on  the  Finance  Office  tlian  in 
Egypt.  The  ministry  of  finance  is  the  mainspring 
of  the  executive  machinery,  the  fountainhead  of 
everything,  without  which  nothing  can  be  done. 
The  ministry  of  public  works  devises  schemes  of 
irrigation  certain  to  make  the  soil  profitable  to 
agriculture;  but  the  Finance  Office  pro\'ides  the 
money  with  which  they  may  be  carried  into  effect. 
Tewfik  might  complnin,  but  he  could  not  drive 

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Tewfik  and  the  Arabi  Rebellion 

M.  de  Blignieres  and  Major  Baring  from  the  min- 
istry of  finance;  nor  could  he  procure  from  these 
controllers  a  single  piaster  for  any  purpose  unless 
they  agreed  with  him  as  to  the  expediency  of  the 
appropriation.  Foreign  intervention  had  not  only 
removed  the  cash-box  from  the  custody  of  the  khe- 
dive,  but  commissions  of  liquidation  and  restrictive 
measures  had  completely  changed  the  character  of 
the  khedival  office  in  its  transition  from  father  to 
son. 

Hampered  thus  in  the  exercise  of  power,  Tewfik 
made  enemies  without  gaining  friends.  The  ruler 
who  distributes  places  and  pensions  has  many  eu- 
logists. Tewfik  Pasha  was  ready  to  cooperate  in 
doing  away  with  extravagances  and  abuses;  but 
the  alien  controllers— in  effect  the  "receivers"  of 
an  establishment  from  which  they  wanted  to  ex- 
tract every  penny  possible  for  their  principals, 
without  destroying  its  future  earning  power — 
effected  such  sweeping  economies  that  thousands 
of  natives  went  hungry  as  a  consequence  of  a  stop- 
page of  their  supplies.  A  people  unfamiliar  with 
diplomatic  methods  of  collecting  overdue  accounts 
knew  little  of  the  significance  of  the  dual  control, 
and  cared  less.  Believing  their  khedive  governed 
Egypt,  they  addressed  to  him  their  petitions  for 
relief;  but  he  could  give  no  relief,  and  discontent 
followed  as  a  natural  consequence.  A  glimmer  of 
understanding  in  time  coming  to  the  people,  the  cry, 
"  Down  with  the  foreigners !  "  rang  from  the  Medi- 
terranean to  the  Sudan,  and  was  echoed  back  with 
the  added  cry  of  "  Egypt  for  the  Egyptians ! " 

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Evidences  of  insubordination  in  the  native  army 
were  brought  to  public  notice  daily,  furnishing  a 
theme  of  conversation  in  bazaar  and  palace.  The 
soldiers  had  many  grievances,  the  arrears  of  pay 
being  the  most  important.  Before  Ismail  had  been 
driven  away,  the  minister  of  finance  had  even  been 
mobbed  in  the  street  by  four  hundred  desperate 
officers,  demanding  the  means  to  supply  their 
families  with  food.  On  another  occasion  an  army 
officer  carried  a  dead  child  in  his  arms  to  the  min- 
istry of  finance,  praying  for  enough  of  the  money 
due  him  to  provide  decent  burial  for  his  little  one. 
When  the  strain  to  find  funds  to  pay  European 
bondholders  was  greatest,  the  crops  failed  in  Upper 
Egypt,  and  there  was  much  suffering  among  the 
populace. 

Meanwhile  the  cry,  "  Egypt  for  the  Egyptians !  " 
was  coming  to  have  more  than  a  sentimental  mean- 
ing. It  was  maturing  into  a  menace,  and  one  of 
such  force  that  every  intelligent  person  in  Egypt 
must  have  recognized  its  possibilities.  I  confess 
that  the  position  of  the  common  people,  if  truth- 
fully described  by  impartial  witnesses,  reflected 
a  cruel  disregard  of  the  principles  of  justice  and 
humanity.  I  am  certain  my  sympathies  would 
have  gone  to  the  poor  Egyptians,  ground  to  star- 
vation that  distant  bondholders  might  continue  to 
receive  an  exorbitant  and  usurious  interest. 

No  universal  rule  for  redressing  grievances  can 
be  laid  down,  but  there  was  a  right  as  well  as  a 
wrong  way  of  attempting  a  rational  solution  of 
even  so  complicated  a  situation  as  that  prevailing 

254 


TULIP  COLUJIXS  AT   KAKXAK. 


Tewfik  and  the  Arabi  Rebellion 

in  Egypt  in  the  early  eighties.  Arabi  Pasha  was 
the  exponent  of  the  wrong  process.  The  logic  of 
argument,  reaching  the  proper  ear,  should  be  more 
potent  in  these  days  than  ill-considered  revolt. 
Rebellion  is  usually  destructive  in  its  results,  and 
does  not  always  appeal  to  the  seat  of  true  wisdom. 

Ahmed  Arabi  was  constructed  on  lines  too  nar- 
row to  make  it  possible  for  him  ever  to  become  a 
liberator.  He  lacked  every  mental  attribute  requi- 
site to  successful  leadership,  perhaps  explained  by  the 
fact  that  he  was  but  a  peasant,  whose  forefathers 
had  never  known  an  hour  when  they  were  free  from 
the  heel  of  the  oppressor.  Arabi  talked  superficial 
platitudes  that  pleased  his  kind,  and  their  flattery 
convinced  him  that  he  was  born  for  a  great  part  in 
the  world.  He  had  risen  from  a  common  soldier 
to  be  a  colonel,  and  had  a  fondness  for  intrigue. 
His  flowery  talk  and  emplojnuent  of  claptrap 
dramaticism  had  lifted  him  within  a  year  from 
obscurity  to  notoriety,  and  wherever  he  went  he 
excited  the  admiration  of  the  common  people. 

His  propaganda  of  "  Egypt  for  the  Egyptians " 
was  hourly  exploited.  People  followed  him  in  the 
streets  singing  his  praises,  and  he  was  undeniably 
the  man  of  the  hour.  It  is  related  that,  as  he 
once  walked  along  an  important  thoroughfare,  in 
a  manner  indicating  profound  reflection,  knowing 
he  was  followed  by  a  hundred  worshipers,  he 
struck  a  dramatic  attitude,  and  said,  as  if  speaking 
to  himself,  "  Here," — placing  his  foot  over  a  certain 
spot,—"  buried  here  is  the  heaven-sent  weapon  that 
will  free  Egypt  from  the  grasp  of  the  infidels."    A 

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dozen  eager  hands  clawed  in  the  earth,  and  brought 
to  light  a  Remington  rifle,  so  bright  and  free  from 
rust  as  to  justify  the  suspicion  that  the  crafty 
Arabi  had  deposited  it  there  but  a  few  hours  before. 

Tewfik  Pasha  was  a  strange  combination  of  cour- 
age and  weakness.  The  latter  was  proved  when 
the  spirit  of  rebellion  among  his  troops  first  took 
concrete  shape.  Arabi  had  led  four  thousand  sol- 
diers to  Abdin  Square  to  demand  from  the  khedive 
the  dismissal  of  the  Riaz  ministry,  against  which 
great  dissatisfaction  had  been  fomented  by  Arabi 
and  his  brother  conspirator,  Mahmoud  Sami. 
Three  sides  of  the  great  square  in  front  of  Abdin 
Palace  were  filled  with  soldiery  and  the  accompany- 
ing rabble,  when  the  khedive,  attended  by  Sir 
Auckland  Colvin,  an  English  official,  went  forth  to 
meet  the  insolent  Arabi. 

The  leader  rode  across  the  square,  sword  in 
hand,  to  the  point  where  the  khedive  stood,  with 
his  group  of  palace  officials.  Arabi  was  nervous, 
and  the  experienced  eye  could  tell  at  a  glance  that 
he  could  be  cowed  as  easily  as  a  truant  school- 
boy. "  What  shall  I  do  !  "  Tewfik  asked  of  Colvin. 
"  Tell  him  to  dismount,"  was  the  reply.  "  Iniz  il !  " 
commanded  Tewfik.  Without  a  word,  and  almost 
with  undignified  haste,  the  comic-opera  hero  was 
on  the  ground,  but  his  sword  was  still  drawn.  The 
khedive  pointed  to  it,  and  Arabi  sheathed  it 
promptly.  But  his  hands  trembled  as  he  ran  the 
blade  into  the  scabbard,  betraying  the  cowardly 
heart  beating  within  his  jacket. 

It  was  the  moment  for  action.     "Demand  his 

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Tewfik  and  the  Arabi  Rebellion 

sword,"  whispered  Colvin  to  bis  Highness.  Could 
Tewfik's  lips  have  uttered  these  words  in  a  manner 
carrying  authority,  the  craven  would  have  laid  his 
weapon  at  the  feet  of  his  effendina  and  kissed  the 
skirt  of  his  garment— and  the  Arabi  rebellion  would 
have  been  stifled  while  yet  in  innocent  embryo, 
and  a  dark  chapter  in  Egyptian  history  would  have 
been  avoided.  But  the  khedive's  tongue  was  as  if 
paralyzed.  A  word  to  the  troops,  later,  would  have 
caused  a  reaffirmation  of  their  loyalty;  and,  had 
their  sovereign  mounted  Arabi's  horse  and  led  the 
regiments  through  the  city,  Arabi  and  the  cause  he 
was  espousing  would  have  been  ridiculed  out  of 
existence. 

But  Arabi  saw  that  he  had  conquered  in  this  con- 
flict with  spineless  Tewfik,  and  from  that  instant 
he  was  master  of  the  situation  and  the  apostle  of 
a  movement  now  grown  to  national  proportions. 
Arabi  had  his  way,  and  the  khedive  dismissed  the 
ministry  of  Riaz  Pasha.  Not  many  months  later 
Arabi  was  minister  of  war,  and  his  better-informed 
ally,  Mahmoud  Sami,  rose  to  be  prime  minister. 

To  Mehemet  Ali  the  incident  would  have  been 
but  a  playful  moment,  and  he  would  have  pistoled 
the  leader  instantly.  Ismail  Pasha,  even,  would 
have  dealt  with  it  no  less  conclusively,  but  in  a 
different  way.  But  the  father  and  great-grand- 
father of  Khedive  Tewfik  were  men  of  impulse  and 
quick  action. 

After  his  easy  triumph  at  Abdin,  the  dreamy 
Arabi  became  a  bustling  bully,  full  of  his  own  im- 
portance, and  displaying  more  than  usual  igno- 

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ranee.  But  to  a  man  the  army  was  with  him,  and 
j&fty  thousand  peasant  farmers  along  the  Nile  were 
ready  to  fight  under  his  banner  whenever  he  called 
for  them.  Tewfik  did  many  things  to  placate  Ara- 
bi,  which  did  much  to  turn  his  head.  At  last  the 
rebel  leader  forced  the  khedive  to  hide  himself  for 
safety  in  one  of  his  palaces  near  Alexandria,  while 
he  became  the  dictator  of  the  country,  basing  his 
authority  upon  his  military  prestige.  He  sent  lying 
proclamations  into  the  interior,  and  pretended  to 
have  divine  revelations  pointing  to  a  crushing  vic- 
tory over  the  Christian  oppressors  of  the  land.  It 
was  his  boast  that  his  guns  could  sink  any  fleet, 
whatever  its  strength ;  and  he  assured  his  followers 
that  a  hundred  thousand  foreign  soldiers,  if  they 
landed  in  Alexandria,  would  be  hacked  to  pieces. 

The  baselessness  of  Arabi's  opinions  was  quickly 
proved,  for  the  forts  of  Alexandria  were  able  to 
make  only  feeble  resistance  to  the  modern  ord- 
nance of  Admiral  Seymour's  fleet,  and  were  reduced 
to  ruins  in  short  order,  with  the  principal  quarter 
of  the  city  as  well.  Arabi  and  his  army  retreated 
to  the  interior  in  the  wildest  disorder,  and  only 
once  made  anything  like  a  determined  stand  against 
the  pursuing  British  regiments.  That  was  at  Tel- 
el-Kebir,  and  was  of  brief  duration.  The  poltroon 
Arabi  a  few  hours  later  was  glad  of  the  personal 
safety  attending  his  surrender  to  the  English  as  a 
prisoner  of  war.^ 

1  "On  September  13, 1882,  the  British  armyxmder  Sir  Garnet  Wolse- 
ley  stormed  the  earthworks  of  Tel-el-Kebir,  and  with  one  brilliant 
dash  scattered  to  the  winds  the  forces  and  the  hopes  of  'Ahmed 

260 


Tewfik  and  the  Arabi  Rebellion 

But  I  find  myself  drifting  into  a  needless  de- 
scription of  the  rebellion,  and  the  bombardment 
of  the  forts  of  Alexandria  on  July  11  and  12,  1882, 
with  the  wanton  massacre  of  thousands  of  innocent 
people  by  the  natives,  maddened  to  frenzy  by  Arabi 
and  his  followers.  It  is  a  page  of  history  too  well 
known  to  be  repeated,  and  has  no  place  in  these 
slight  sketches. 

Mr.  Moberly  Bell,  a  fair-minded  English  writer  on 
the  subject  of  contemporary  Egypt,  in  recording 
his  opinions  of  the  campaign  as  he  saw  it,  says 
this  of  Arabi :  "  It  may  be  admitted  that  the  whole 
country  sided  with  Arabi  up  to  the  day  of  Tel-el- 
Kebir,  but  the  significance  of  this  fact  is  apparent 
when  we  remember  that  the  whole  country  was 
against  him  the  day  afterward.  Again,  the  gen- 
eral promise  held  out  to  millions  of  fellaheen  that 
aU  debts  due  to  Europeans  should  be  canceled 
would  have  enabled  the  devil  himself  to  have  made 
converts.  In  Egypt,  the  man  who  succeeds  is  al- 
ways popular;  the  man  who  has  power  leads  the 
nation.     Arabi  got  power,  not  by  his  ability,  but 

Arabi,  the  Egyptian.'  Nine  tenths  at  least  of  the  so-called  'rebel' 
army  were  only  too  delighted  at  the  opportunity  of  throwing  away 
their  arms  and  their  uniforms,  of  donning  once  more  with  all  haste 
their  galahinhs  of  blue  cotton,  and  returning  to  the  unconstrained 
life  and  patient  labor  in  their  beloved  fields,  which  were  so  much 
more  congenial  to  them  than  the  duties  and  the  dangers  of  military 
service.  The  next  day  two  squadrons  of  British  cavalry  reached 
Cairo.  They  had  ridden  straight  across  the  desert,  some  forty  miles, 
and  both  men  and  horses  were  nearly  dead  from  fatigue ;  yet  the 
citadel  and  city,  though  occupied  by  a  strong  body  of  Arabi's  troops, 
surrendered  without  a  show  of  resistance.  The  'rebellion'  was  at 
an  end."— Sir  Alfred  Milner,  in  "England  in  Egypt." 

26^ 


Present-Day  Egypt 

by  the  efforts  of  those  supportiug  him,  and  by  the 
blunders  of  his  opponents.  After  Tel-el-Kebir  he 
never  uttered  one  word  of  regret,  never  made  a 
single  inquiry  as  to  the  fate  of  those  poor  wretches 
who  were  the  victims  rather  of  his  dunderhead 
stupidity  than  of  his  intentional  wickedness." 

Many  times,  before  and  after  the  revolt,  Tewfik 
Pasha  was  deplorably  wanting  in  firmness,  and,  on 
the  other  hand,  was  more  than  once  as  heroic  as 
any  man  could  be  when  in  imminent  danger.  If 
compelled  to  decide  quickly,  the  decision  was  too 
often  on  the  side  of  error ;  but  with  time  for  de- 
liberation, his  conclusion  was  nearly  always  to  do 
the  right  thing,  unmindful  of  the  peril  or  the  con- 
sequences. A  man  of  the  greatest  genius,  however, 
might  have  found  it  difficult  to  thread  his  course 
through  such  a  labyrinth  of  doubts  and  misfor- 
tunes as  that  in  which  the  khedive  was  placed. 

If  any  benefits  immediately  resulted  from  Eng- 
land's voluntary  aid  to  Egypt,  the  breaking  of  the 
dual  control  was  the  first  in  importance.    French 
susceptibilities  were  so  irritated  by  the  non-depar- 
ture of  the  British  troops,  sent  to  the  country  to 
restore  the  authority  of  the  khedive,  that  the  gov- 
ernment of  France  declined  to  remain  a  party  to 
the  management  of  Egyptian  finances.     I  do  not 
express  an  opinion  as  to  the  wisdom  of  this  action 
as  a  matter  of  policy,  but  the  withdrawal  of  France  | 
certainly  helped  the  position  of  the  poor  Egyptians,] 
for  they  had  then  one  master  less.     A  single  con- 
trol is  preferable  to  any  other  form  of  oligarchy,, 
when  the  welfare  of  a  suffering  people  is  considered.  • 

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Tewfik  and  the  Arabi  Rebellion 

By  the  old  system,  with  each  side  issuing  a  procla- 
mation almost  daily  to  the  other,  the  patient  was 
in  danger  of  succumbing  while  the  rival  physicians 
were  deciding  which  should  take  the  responsibility 
of  going  to  his  relief. 

During  the  bombardment  Tewfik  was  in  his  pal- 
ace three  miles  out  of  Alexandria,  with  his  wife. 
When  urged  before  the  shelling  of  the  city  to  seek 
shelter  on  his  yacht  or  on  a  war-ship,  his  answer 
was :  "  No.  I  will  remain  with  my  people  in  their 
hour  of  danger.  I  am  still  their  khedive."  Within 
range  of  shots  from  the  ships  in  the  harbor,  and 
with  a  bloodthirsty,  looting  mob  near  by,  Tewfik 
remained  in  his  Ramleh  palace  throughout  the 
two  days  of  carnage.  Shortly  after  the  crushing 
of  Arabi,  cholera  broke  out  in  Cairo  in  its  most  fatal 
form.  Then  this  man  who  had  failed  to  nip  a  re- 
bellion in  the  bud  by  a  commanding  word  to  Arabi 
went  deliberately  with  his  khedivah  to  the  capital, 
against  the  advice  of  his  suite,  and  to  the  dismay 
of  the  physicians.  He  went  from  hospital  to  hos- 
pital, inspiring  courage  throughout  the  stricken 
city  by  his  example,  and  helping  the  bereaved  with 
money  from  a  purse  not  overflowing. 

Called  to  a  heritage  of  bankruptcy,  discontent, 
and  rebellion,  Tewfik  Pasha  was  a  virtuous  and 
amiable  prince,  whose  failings  inspired  sympathy. 
He  regretted  the  ravages  of  cholera  in  Cairo  and 
the  Delta  more  than  the  losing  to  the  Mahdi  of 
millions  of  miles  of  valuable  territory  in  the  Sudan, 
chiefly  because  he  had  witnessed  the  horrors  of  the 
home  calamity,  possibly. 

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Present-Day  Egypt 

Tewfik  preferred  the  early  morning  for  work,  and 
documents  dealing  with  public  affairs  were  then 
read  and  arranged  before  his  secretaries  were  astir. 
He  always  varied  his  labors  with  outdoor  exercise, 
and  many  were  the  anecdotes  related  by  him  of  the 
experiences  with  soldiers  and  policemen  who  did 
not  recognize  as  the  khedive  the  sleek,  rotund 
little  man  taking  a  morning  constitutional.  He 
frequently  slipped  over  to  the  Grhizereh  gardens 
at  sunrise  to  view  the  horticultural  beauties  when 
only  the  fellah  was  astir.  Returning  to  the  palace 
from  one  of  these  rambles,  he  was  stopped  by  a 
good-natured  British  soldier  doing  sentry  duty  at 
the  main  entrance,  with  these  words :  "  Hi,  there ! 
Yer  can't  go  in  'ere,  yer  know." 

"  But  I  belong  to  the  palace,"  said  the  khedive, 
enjoying  the  situation. 

"  Oh,  do  yer  ?  Well,  what  sort  of  a  place  'ave  yer 
got,  anyway!"  added  Tommy  Atkins,  convinced 
of  his  right  to  have  a  bit  of  chaff  with  any  "  f urri- 
ner." 

"  Very  good." 

"Ah,  fine  times,  I  s'pose;  nothin'  to  do  and 
plenty  to  eat,  from  the  look  o'  yer.  Would  n't  mind 
servin'  this  chap  meself,  if  'e  'd  find  me  five  bob  a 
day." 

A  sergeant  on  his  rounds  cut  short  the  soldier's 
lingo,  and  his  Highness  went  into  the  palace  to  his 
books  and  papers,  enjoying  the  joke  more  than  the 
discomfited  redcoat  did. 

When  Arabi,  Mahmoud  Sami,  and  other  ring- 
leaders of  the  rebellion  had  been  sentenced  to  death 

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Tewfik  and  the  Arabi  Rebellion 

for  treason,  Tewfik  was  the  first  to  speak  for  a  com- 
mutation of  sentence  to  life-banishment.  Arabi 
and  his  surviving  fellow-traitors  in  Ceylon  could 
not  have  been  forgetful  of  what  they  owed  to  the 
tender  heart  of  the  khedive  they  had  conspired  to 
destroy,  when  they  heard  that  his  Highness  had 
died  suddenly,  while  still  a  comparatively  young 
man,  at  Helouan,  on  January  7,  1892. 

A  brief  account  of  Arabi  in  his  exile  may  not  be 
out  of  place  in  concluding  my  chapter.  It  is. 
more  than  sixteen  years  since  he  and  the  seven 
other  rebels  said  farewell  to  their  native  land, 
bound  for  Ceylon,  under  military  escort.  Since 
then  Abd-el-Aal  Pasha,  the  most  stalwart  of  them 
all,  and  Mahmoud  Fehmy,  the  astute  engineer  who 
nearly  succeeded  in  blocking  the  Suez  Canal,  have 
gone  over  to  the  great  majority.  But  Arabi  him- 
self, as  well  as  Mahmoud  Sami,  Toulba  Osmat,  Ali 
Fehmy,  and  Yacoub  Sami,  are  still  not  only  in  the 
land  of  the  living,  but  in  very  good  health  and 
spirits. 

There  has  been  a  good  deal  of  marrying  and 
giving  in  marriage  since  the  steamer  Mareotis 
took  her  contingent  of  prisoners  to  Colombo.  The 
sons  born  prior  to  their  fathers'  political  troubles 
are,  for  the  most  part,  serving  the  present  khe- 
dive in  more  or  less  responsible  positions;  but 
many  children  of  both  sexes  have  been  born  to  the 
pashas  since  they  set  foot  on  British  soil,  and  they 
consequently  are  both  cle  jure  and  de  facto  British 
subjects.  For  some  time  there  was  much  grum- 
bling among  the   exiles,  who  suffered  from  the 

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Present-Day  Egypt 

marked  difference  between  the  dry  heat  of  the  Nile 
valley  and  the  depressing  damp  heat  of  Ceylon. 
They  hoped  against  hope  for  permission  to  return 
to  Egypt,  and  for  years  Arabi's  friends  did  their 
utmost  to  second  his  efforts  to  secure  a  pardon. 

From  the  first  the  exiles  were  treated  as  per- 
sons of  importance,  and  they  have  been  the  guests 
of  the  various  governors  who  have  held  sway  in 
Ceylon  since  1883.  Arabi's  home  has  been  visited 
by  many  thousands  of  Mohammedans  on  their  road 
to  Mecca,  as  well  as  by  an  immense  number  of 
European  and  American  travelers.  He  is  now 
located  in  a  picturesque  bungalow  in  the  ancient 
capital  of  the  island,  Kandy,  in  the  interior,  where 
the  temperature  is  more  like  that  of  his  native 
country  than  that  of  the  coast.  Arabi  has  ceased 
to  find  his  life  in  Ceylon  either  irksome  or  other- 
wise unpleasant.  His  "  visiting-book  "  is  in  its  way 
a  notable  curiosity,  and  he  can  now  talk  of  the 
events  of  1882  without  the  smallest  bitterness.  He 
has  learned  to  speak  English  with  tolerable  fluency 
and  takes  a  deep  interest  in  the  political  events  of 
the  day.  Sometimes  his  mind  wanders  back  to 
the  much-loved  land  from  which  he  s^^rang,  and 
the  freedom  for  which  he  fought.  He  is  still  in  the 
prime  of  life,  for  the  rebel  leader  was  onlj^  just 
forty  when  "he  surrendered  his  sword  and  his 
honor  into  the  hands  of  the  English"  on  the  mor- 
row of  Tel-el-Kebir. 

If  not  such  a  "dunderhead"  in  these  years  as 
when  hatching  rebellion  in  Egypt,  Arabi's  reflec- 
tions would  be  interesting,  could  we  know  them.   No 

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Tewiik  and  the  Arabi  Rebellion 

longer  a  political  issue  himself,  the  administration 
of  Egypt,  owing  its  creation  to  him,  becomes  an  in- 
ternational issue,  as  well  as  an  anomaly  having  no 
parallel  in  history.  This  control  of  affairs,  upheld 
by  four  or  five  thousand  British  bayonets,  on  soil 
not  belonging  to  the  British  empire,  is  an  institu- 
tion over  which  European  statesmen  have  long 
wrangled.  "Advisers"  to  the  khedive,  under- 
secretaries of  state,  irrigation  experts,  military 
and  civil  servants  of  high  degree  and  correspond- 
ing pay,  and  small-fry  officials  by  the  hundred, 
owe  their  employment  in  the  land  of  the  Nile  to 
the  muddle-headed  Arabi,  now  dreaming  away  his 
days  in  the  hills  of  Ceylon.  The  common  people 
of  his  beloved  Egypt,  for  whom  he  was  so  solicitous 
in  1881  and  1882,  are  now  enjoying  a  measure  of 
prosperity  greater  than  they  had  ever  known, 
oddly  enough,  as  a  sequence  of  his  efforts  to  free 
them  from  the  grasp  of  the  infidel. 

Some  philosophers,  maybe,  see  in  Arabi  one  who 
has  done  his  share  toward  making  Britain's  foreign 
policy  so  successful  as  to  excite  the  jealousy  of  half 
the  nations  of  the  Old  World.  Unlike  Clive, 
Hastings,  and  Cecil  Rhodes,  Arabi  accomplished 
what  he  did  for  England  as  the  result  of  bigoted 
ignorance  and  blundering,  not  of  clear-sighted 
intention. 


13  ~—  , 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  PEESENT   KHEDIVE   AND   KHEDIVAL  FAMILY 

HIS  Higliness  Abbas  Hilmi  II  was  born  in 
Cairo  on  July  14, 1874,  and  succeeded  to  the 
khedivate  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  Estimates  of  his 
character  are  never  indefinite,  for  he  is  liked  or  dis- 
liked intensely— it  depends  upon  the  point  of  view 
from  which  the  judgment  is  formed.  The  public 
relying  upon  English  newspapers  for  knowledge 
of  persons  and  events  has  no  doubt  regarding  the 
intractable  nature  of  the  khedive.  The  human  mind 
in  time  accepts  as  facts,  concrete  and  unyielding, 
what  is  heard  and  read  for  years.  The  unattractive 
side  of  Abbas  Pasha  from  the  day  he  came  to  the 
khedivate  has  frequently  been  paraded  in  English 
prints.  Hence  the  majority  of  English  people  do 
not  like  him.  They  believe  they  know  him,  but 
manifestly  do  not.  Yet  no  people  on  earth  so  per- 
sistently demand  fair  play  as  our  British  cousins. 
The  opinion  of  Abbas  held  in  the  British  Isles  is 
the  outcome  of  political  exigencies.  Whenever  an 
Egyptian  "incident"  calls  for  official  attention  in 
London,  Fleet  Street  is  moved  to  applaud  England's 
foreign  policy,  and  decry  the  khedive  whose  rebel- 
lious spirit  has  led  him  to  show  by  manner  or  word 

272 


The  Present  Khedival  Family 

that  he  would  like  to  guide  unaided  the  government 
of  which  he  is  the  titular  head.  This  is  an  expe- 
dient of  the  moment,  defensible,  possibly,  because 
patriotic.  But  when  the  young  Egyptian  is  forced 
to  repress  his  desire  to  rule  over  his  people,  subject 
only  to  his  suzerain,  the  newspapers  forget  to  neu- 
tralize the  harsh  things  said  of  him  in  their  zeal  to 
promote  Britain's  foreign  interests.  It  seldom  oc- 
curs to  English  journalists  that  Abbas,  too,  knows 
the  meaning  of  the  words  "  fair  play." 

This  young  man,  the  seventh  of  the  Mehemet  Ali 
line  to  be  at  the  head  of  the  Egyptian  people, 
makes  no  pretension  to  unusual  wisdom;  yet  his 
capabilities  are  of  an  order  making  of  him  a  not 
unworthy  successor  to  the  Pharaohs  and  Ptolemies, 
Alexander  and  Cleopatra.  He  lacks  some  of  the 
amiable  characteristics  of  his  father,  Khedive  Tew- 
fik,  it  is  true ;  but  he  is  incomparably  better  qualified 
for  successful  administrative  work.  English  people 
approved  of  Tewfik  Pasha,  but  that  khedive  never 
aroused  their  anger  by  expressing  wishes  or  opinions. 
He  was  pliable  as  clay  in  the  strong  British  gnisp. 

Abbas's  faults  are  neither  numerous  nor  serious. 
His  good  qualities  exceed  in  number  those  possessed 
by  the  average  prince  of  his  years  and  experience. 
The  sentiment  of  patriotism  is  one  that  justly 
claims  respect,  and  that  he  should  desire  to  l^e  free 
from  foreign  tutelage  is  natural  enough.  To  learn 
his  true  character  and  arrive  at  a  just  conclusion  of 
his  worth,  he  must  be  measured  at  home,  since  the 
opinions  spread  before  readers  of  English  news- 
papers and  books  are  scarcely  ingenuous. 

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Present-Day  Egypt 

For  four  years  I  endeavored  to  be  a  fair-minded 
student  of  the  character  of  Abbas  Pasha.  The  let- 
ter of  credence  that  I  bore  from  the  President  of 
the  United  States  commended  me  to  him  as  the  head 
of  the  Egyptian  government ;  and  throughout  my 
residence  in  the  Egyptian  capital  I  punctiliously 
treated  him  as  my  instructions  demanded.  Study 
my  credentials  as  I  would,  I  could  discover  no  in- 
timation that  the  khedive  was  but  a  nominal  ex- 
ecutive, and  my  documents  from  Washington  made 
no  reference  to  Great  Britain  as  the  dominating 
power  in  Egypt. 

British  functionaries  of  a  rank  entitling  them  to 
come  into  personal  relations  with  Abbas  Pasha 
form  a  sincere  liking  for  him.  But  the  petty  sub- 
ordinate, seeing  him  at  a  distance,  or  more  likely 
not  at  all,  is  obstinately  wedded  to  the  belief  that 
it  is  his  duty  as  a  loyal  Briton  to  utter  partizan 
opinion  against  the  nominal  head  of  the  govern- 
ment from  which  he  may  be  earning  his  daily 
bread.  Americans,  on  the  other  hand,  invariably 
like  Khedive  Abbas,  and  as  a  people  they  are  not 
incapable  of  forming  sound  judgments.  They  see 
him  with  eyes  not  blurred  with  political  vapors. 

Less  than  eight  years  ago  Prince  Abbas  was  a 
light-hearted  student  in  Vienna,  pursuing  a  course 
of  study  at  the  famous  Theresianum  fitting  him 
for  the  exalted  position  some  day  to  be  his.  The 
Austrian  emperor  took  a  kindly  interest  in  the  lad 
being  educated  to  rule  the  oldest  nation  in  the 
world,  and  means  were  provided  for  giving  him  a 
practical  insight  into  the  profession  of  the  soldier, 

274 


HIS   HIUHNESS  ABBAS   HILMI   PASHA   II,    KHEDIVE   OF   EGYPT. 


The  Present  Khedival  Family 

as  well  as  the  calling  of  the  engineer  and  the  skilled 
artisan.  In  the  midst  of  these  pursuits,  at  a  time 
when  he  believed  he  had  many  years  for  study  and 
travel,  the  news  was  cabled  from  Cairo,  on  Janu- 
ary 7,  1892,  that  Tewfik  Pasha  had  died  suddenly, 
and  that  Prince  Abbas  had  been  proclaimed  khe- 
dive. 

Thus  ended  abruptly  the  happy  student  days, 
and  the  prince  had  to  exchange  the  outspoken  lan- 
guage of  youth  for  the  carefully  considered  phrases 
of  the  head  of  a  nation  to  control  which  several 
European  governments  were  in  jealous  rivalry,  one 
of  them  being  represented  on  Egyptian  soil,  without 
any  real  authority,  by  an  army  of  five  thousand  men, 
and  hundreds  of  officials  employed  in  administra- 
tive capacities.  It  was  surely  not  a  promising 
prospect. 

Abbas  was  taught  English  as  a  child,  by  a  gover- 
ness, and  later  special  tutors  were  brought  from 
England  to  perfect  his  knowledge  of  the  language. 
An  American  officer  in  the  Egyptian  army  was  as- 
signed to  teach  the  military  rudiments  not  only  to 
the  heir  to  the  khedivate,  but  to  Prince  Mehemet  Ali, 
a  year  younger,  as  well.  At  the  age  of  twelve  Abbas 
was  sent  to  the  celebrated  Haxius  school  at  Ge- 
neva to  complete  the  preparatory  course  fitting  him 
for  the  Theresianum. 

In  his  student  days  Abbas  visited  every  capital 
in  Europe,  with  the  exception  of  Madrid  and  Lis- 
bon. He  went  to  the  North  Cape  and  saw  the  mid- 
night sun,  but,  he  remarks  with  a  smile,  has  never 
made  the   ascent  of   the  Gizeh  Pyi-amids,  which 

277 


Present-Day  Egypt 

overlook  his  capital.  During  his  travels  he  ob- 
served closely  such  institutions  as  he  considered 
suitable  for  application  to  his  own  country,  and 
the  knowledge  thus  obtained  has  no  doubt  contrib- 
uted in  a  measure  to  the  progress  of  present-day 
Egypt.  Plans  had  been  arranged  for  a  protracted 
visit  of  the  princes  to  the  United  States  in  the  year 
of  the  Columbian  Exposition.  The  itinerary  would 
have  taken  them  not  only  to  Chicago  and  Washing- 
ton, but  also  to  the  principal  industrial  centers. 
Tewfik  Pasha  had  planned  for  instructors  to  ac- 
company the  young  men,  who  would  have  given 
them  an  insight  into  the  sources  of  America's  great- 
ness. Abbas  Pasha  has  more  than  once  expressed 
his  keen  regret  that  fate  should  have  deprived  him 
of  the  advantage  of  seeing  the  country  with  which 
his  grandfather  had  established  valued  relations. 

Elevation  to  exalted  position  has  not  obliterated 
the  memory  of  comradeships  at  Greneva  and  Vienna ; 
for  when  the  khedive  is  sufficiently  acquainted 
with  his  caller  to  lay  aside  formalities,  and  the 
visitor  is  American,  he  will  recall  many  pleasant 
companionships  with  American  youths,  mentioning 
them  by  name  when  speaking  of  their  attractive 
qualities. 

The  lingual  capacity  of  the  khedive  is  striking, 
especially  to  those  who  regard  a  prince's  training  as 
purely  ornamental.  During  the  course  of  an  "  audi- 
ence-day "  it  frequently  happens  that  he  discusses 
questions  of  state  with  the  British  and  United 
States  diplomatic  agents  in  excellent  English,  with 
the  representative  of  France  in  faultless  French, 

278 


The  Present  Khedival  Family 

and  with  the  German  in  the  choicest  language  of  the 
Austrian  court.  Later  he  conducts  affairs  with  the 
Sultan's  representative  in  Turkish,  and  may  con- 
clude the  day  by  presiding  over  a  council  of  his 
ministry,  when  all  sorts  of  intricate  details  of  policy 
are  arranged  in  Arabic,  the  native  tongue  of  Egypt, 
and  one  of  the  most  difficult  of  languages.  The 
evening  may  see  his  Highness  at  the  theater,  lis- 
tening with  pleasure  and  understanding  to  opera 
rendered  in  Italian. 

The  accomplishment  yielding  the  khedive  his 
greatest  pleasure,  next  to  his  horsemanship,  is  his 
musical  proficiency.  He  is  a  skilful  pianist,  and 
has  a  correct  ear  for  melody.  Included  in  his  en- 
tourage are  forty  or  fifty  picked  musicians,  consti- 
tuting his  private  band,  whose  position  is  anything 
but  a  sinecure.  At  Koubbeh  the  bandsmen  are 
quartered  close  to  the  palace,  and  an  abbreviated 
rehearsal  or  a  flagrantly  false  note  receives  imme- 
diate attention  from  his  Highness,  it  is  said. 

Abbas  Pasha  does  not  claim  infallibility,  but 
realizes,  like  his  seniors,  that  administrative  mis- 
takes can  be  made.  He  is  a  very  different  man 
from  the  ordinary  type  of  Oriental  sovereign,  hav- 
ing no  religious  bigotry,  narrowness  of  thought,  or 
ignorance  of  the  outside  world.  A  desire  to  pro- 
mote the  welfare  of  his  people  is  his  controlling 
thought,  and  under  his  guidance  their  future  would 
be  full  of  encouragement  and  hope. 

The  khedive  receives  a  yearly  grant  from  the 
Egyptian  government  of  five  hundred  thousand 
dollars.    His  private  wealth  is  great,  and  chiefly 

279 


Present-Day  Egypt 

invested  in  productive  farms  and  cotton-plantations 
in  the  Nile  Delta.  His  habits  tend  to  thrift,  per- 
haps as  the  natural  result  of  the  downfall  of  Khe- 
dive Ismail,  whose  extravagance  has  no  parallel  in 
history.  In  addition  to  the  khedive's  grant  from 
the  .national  exchequer,  he  receives  another  five 
hundred  thousand  dollars  for  the  support  of  his 
mother,  brother,  sisters,  and  the  various  relatives 
of  the  khedival  family,  nearly  a  hundred  in 
number. 

He  is  a  strict  disciplinarian,— reflecting  doubtless 
his  Austrian  training,— but  is  just,  considerate,  and 
kind.  State  and  show  he  dislikes,  but  insists  on 
receiving  the  full  deference  due  his  rank.  In  child- 
hood the  two  brothers,  in  addressing  each  other, 
invariably  employed  the  full  title,  as  Prince  Abbas 
Bey  and  Prince  Mehemet  Ali  Bey.  On  one  occa- 
sion, it  is  related,  however,  the  latter  was  inclined 
to  be  indolent  and  shirk  his  lesson. 

"  Come,  Prince,"  urged  the  instructor,  "  it  must 
be  done." 

Abbas  Bey  at  once  exclaimed :  "  Prince,  indeed ! 
My  brother  is  no  prince  when  idle— he  is  only  a 
fellah." 

One  privileged  to  meet  the  khedive  is  led  to  the 
audience-chamber  through  files  of  saluting  guards- 
men—in smart  blue  uniforms  if  it  is  winter  and  at 
Abdin  Palace  in  Cairo,  or  in  white  uniforms  if  it 
is  summer  at  Ras-el-Teen  in  Alexandria.  He  is 
greeted  at  the  door  in  a  manner  proving  the  khe- 
dive's geniality.  After  shaking  hands  the  visitor 
is  motioned  to  a  seat  on  the  divan  with  his  High- 

280 


The  Present  Khedival  Family 

ness.  Khedive  Abbas  has  a  pleasing  face,  full  and 
round,  with  a  fair  complexion  browned  by  out- 
door exercise.  The  upper  lip  is  arched  and  deli- 
cately molded ;  the  lower  full,  but  without  a  touch 
of  grossness.  There  is  a  little  dark  mustache,  to 
which  he  puts  his  right  hand  in  moments  of  ani- 
mation, twisting  its  ends. 

No  portrait  gives  an  idea  of  the  wonder  of  the 
face,  which  comes  from  eyes  of  light  hazel,  and  the 
fair,  clear  complexion  derived  from  his  Turkish 
ancestors.  The  eyes  mirror  every  emotion,  flash- 
ing with  the  light  of  laughter,  and  deepening  with 
the  shadow  of  thought.  Photographs  of  the  khe- 
dive  cannot  possibly  suggest  the  charm  of  face, 
coming  with  his  mood,  and  varying  therewith.  Ab- 
bas's  figure  tends  to  stoutness,  and  he  is  not  tall. 
He  is  unmistakably  magnetic,  agreeable,  and  men- 
tally alert.  In  his  dress  there  is  nothing  Oriental, 
save  the  red  tarboosh,  never  removed  from  the 
head.  The  clothes  might  be  those  of  any  young 
American,  not  particular  as  to  the  latest  mode,  but 
his  coat  on  ordinary  occasions  is  invariably  a  frock. 
Jewelry  and  glossy  boots  are  never  in  evidence, 
except  when  he  wears  the  uniform  of  commander- 
in-chief  of  the  army,  with  gemmed  orders,  sword, 
and  accoutrements. 

A  visitor  quickly  discovers  that  he  is  dealing 
with  no  no\'ice  of  life  and  affairs,  but  with  one 
whose  responsible  position  has  forced  a  precocious 
maturity,  for  Abbas's  manner  and  words  are  those 
of  a  man  of  thirty-five.  He  quickly  grasps  the 
point  of  a  question,  and  a  few  minutes'  conver- 

283 


Present-Day  Egypt 


sation  shows  him  to  have  a  good  insight  into  cur- 
rent events. 

A  remarkable  memory  enables  the  khedive  to 
converse  effectively  on  almost  any  topic.  When 
on  military  subjects  he  will  speak  of  the  excellent 
services  rendered  the  Egyptian  army  by  the  Ameri- 
cans who  placed  it  on  a  footing  of  efficiency  in  his 
grandfather's  time.  It  is  the  firmly  set  mouth  that 
indicates  his  determination,  inherited  from  Ismail, 
and  which  his  own  father  did  not  possess.  The 
khedive  is  by  some  called  stubborn  and  obstinate ; 
but,  like  many  others,  he  can  be  more  easily  led  than 
driven. 

His  Highness  rises  usually  at  half-past  five  o'clock, 
and  shortly  after  is  in  the  saddle  for  a  ride  about 
Koubbeh  or  Montazah,  visiting  working  parties  and 
stables,  and  giving  orders  for  the  day  after  the 
manner  of  any  gentleman  farmer  superintending 
his  own  estates.  He  breakfasts  at  eight,  after 
which  and  up  to  noon,  if  it  is  not  an  audience-day 
in  town,  he  is  occupied  with  his  secretaries  in 
arranging  and  considering  affairs  of  state,  going 
thoroughly  into  details  before  deciding  any  matter. 
After  luncheon  a  secretary  replies  to  letters  of  a 
personal  character  under  the  khedive's  direction, 
and  from  three  to  five  his  Highness  receives  diplo- 
matic and  other  official  visitors,  and  then  drives 
until  sunset.  It  is  his  custom  to  appear  on  the 
Ghizereh  oval,  in  Cairo,  every  Friday  afternoon  in 
the  season.  For  an  Eastern,  Abbas  Pasha  is  ex- 
traordinarily energetic. 

When  the  Duke  of  Cambridge  was  in  Cairo,  a  few 
284 


The  Present  Khedival  Family 

seasons  since,  it  was  arranged  that  a  field-review 
be  given  of  the  Egyptian  troops  quartered  in  the 
capital,  in  honor  of  the  famous  commander-in-chief 
of  Queen  Victoria's  army.  The  proposition  came 
from  Britishers  in  the  Egyptian  service,  those  who 
believe  that  Egypt  would  go  to  the  eternal  bow- 
wows were  it  not  for  the  fostering  hand  of  England. 
His  Highness  the  Khedive  was  to  be  present,  as 
nominal  commander  of  the  army. 

All  Cairo  was  at  Abbassieh,  on  horseback  or  in 
carriages,  to  see  the  manoeuvers.  The  khedive  gal- 
loped on  to  the  parade-ground  with  his  aides,  and 
immediately  took  command  of  the  forces.  The 
spectators  were  treated  to  something  manifestly 
not  on  the  bills,  for  the  young  Egyptian  put  the 
soldiers  through  their  paces  in  a  manner  causing 
consternation  to  the  officials  who  had  intended  the 
khedive  to  play  an  ornamental  part  only  in  the  show. 

Infantry  and  cavalry  were  hurried  here  and  there, 
the  camel  corps  was  sent  across  the  desert  to  repel 
an  imaginary  foe,  and  platoons  of  artillery  were 
ordered  into  position,  and  their  guns  belched  forth 
volley  after  volley.  This  mimic  warfare,  extending 
over  miles  of  the  desert,  was  kept  up  for  two  hours, 
and  waxed  so  fast  and  furious  that  nearly  all  the 
spectators  had  fallen  by  the  wayside,  from  inability 
to  keep  up,  long  before  it  was  over.  His  Royal 
Highness  of  England  had  not  experienced  such  a 
shaking  up  for  years,  and  when  the  campaign  ended 
did  not  hesitate  to  say  that  the  Egyptian  soldiers 
were  a  fine  lot  of  men,  knowing  every  detail  of  a 
soldier's  calling. 

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Present-Day  Egypt 

This  approving  formula  had  become  habitual 
with  him  in  commending  British  yeomanry  and 
volunteers,  but  in  this  case  was  uttered  with  unmis- 
takable sincerity.  The  old  duke  had  seen  more 
practical  soldiering  on  the  plains  of  Abbassieh  than 
he  had  anticipated,  and  from  that  time  he  has  been 
an  admirer  of  the  young  khedive. 

Abbas  Pasha  never  disobeys  the  command  of  the 
Koran  by  tasting  wines  or  spirits,  and  the  example 
to  the  youth  of  his  country  is  carried  further,  for 
he  is  a  total  abstainer  from  tobacco,  which,  in  a 
land  where  nearly  everybody  smokes  cigarettes 
from  morning  until  night,  means  much. 

A  striking  phase  of  character  for  one  occupying 
so  conspicuous  a  position  before  the  world  is  the 
manner  in  which  the  khedive  dissociates  private  life 
from  official  station.  When  his  work  at  Abdin 
Palace  is  finished,  a  cavalry  guard  escorts  him  to 
the  palace  of  Koubbeh,  five  miles  out  of  Cairo,  on 
the  border  of  the  desert.  There  is  little  suggesting 
princely  estate  about  Koubbeh,  save  the  few  sol- 
diers of  the  khedival  guard  and  the  musicians 
and  drummer-boys  lounging  in  front  of  their  quar- 
ters. The  palace  looks  like  the  seat  of  a  well-con- 
ditioned European  family  of  country  tastes.  The 
presence  of  its  master  is  indicated  by  the  scarlet 
flag  bearing  the  threefold  star  and  crescent  float- 
ing over  the  palace. 

The  khedive's  consort,  described  by  those  who 
know  her  as  an  attractive  Circassian,  and  the 
four  little  children,  are  installed  at  Koubbeh  dur- 
ing the  winter  season.    It  is  likewise  the  home 

286 


THE  sultan's   high   C'OMMISSIONKK   IN    EUVl'T.   (iUAZl   MUUKHTAH   PASHA. 


I 


The  Present  Khedival  Family 

of  the  khedivah-mere,  who,  by  reason  of  having 
been  born  a  princess,  takes  rank  over  the  khedivah 
as  the  first  lady  of  the  court.  The  khedivah- 
mere  is  little  more  than  forty  years  of  age,  and  is 
said  to  be  charming  and  accomplished.  She  was 
at  one  time  the  most  beautiful  of  the  princesses  of 
the  East.  Her  lovely,  clear  complexion,  magnifi- 
cent eyes,  with  the  shape  of  her  face  and  the  car- 
riage of  the  head,  made  her  a  very  queen  of  beauty, 
it  is  claimed  by  ladies  having  the  entree  at  the 
viceroyal  court.  Living  in  strict  Mohammedan 
seclusion,  and  never  appearing  in  public  except  with 
veiled  faces,  the  ladies  of  the  khedival  family  are 
not  subjected  to  masculine  gaze.  Their  attendance 
at  the  opera  is  concealed  from  the  audience  by 
screened  boxes ;  but  flashing  jewels  and  shadowy 
outlines  behind  the  gossamer  curtains  tell  of  their 
presence. 

Up  to  February  20,  1899,  Prince  Mehemet  Ali 
was  heir  to  the  khedivate ;  but  on  that  date  the 
consort  of  Abbas  Pasha  gave  birth  to  a  son  at  the 
villa  of  Montazah,  and  while  the  happy  event  was 
being  celebrated  throughout  the  country,  it  was 
formally  announced  that  Prince  Mohammed  Ab- 
doul-Mounaim,  the  newborn,  was  heir  apparent  to 
the  khedival  dignity  and  estate.  This  was  in 
accord  with  the  Sultan's  firman  of  June  9,  1873, 
which  provided  that  the  succession  to  the  khedi- 
vate of  Egypt  is  exclusively  by  order  of  primogeni- 
ture in  the  male  line.  Should  Abbas  Pasha  die,  the 
firman  provides  for  a  regency  until  the  heir  attains 
his  legal  majority  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years. 

289 


Present-Day  Egypt 

Having  no  official  position  in  the  Egyptian  ad- 
ministration, Prince  Mehemet  Ali  passes  a  good 
portion  of  each  year  in  Paris.  Every  winter  sees 
him  in  Cairo,  where,  although  a  bachelor,  he  resides 
in  a  bijou  palace  in  the  European  quarter. 

The  khedive  has  two  sisters.  The  elder,  the  Prin- 
cess Khadija,  born  in  1880,  is  married  to  a  Turkish 
notable,  and  spends  much  time  at  Constantinople ; 
the  younger,  the  Princess  Nimet,  born  in  1882,  is 
wedded  to  her  cousin,  Djemil  Pasha,  an  accom- 
plished and  wealthy  prince,  who  resides  at  Mou- 
nerah  Palace  in  Cairo. 

While  a  devout  believer  in  the  religion  of  the 
Koran,  the  khedive  has  never  taken  advantage  of  its 
provision  that  one  may  have  four  wives.  He  is  a 
monogamist,  as  was  his  father.  The  khedive  has 
no  harem  in  the  European  sense.  Each  of  his  pal- 
aces, however,  has  its  "harem  division,"  which 
means  simply  that  portion  set  apart  for  the  khe- 
divah  and  khedivah-mere  and  their  enormous 
entourage.  The  attendants  are  young  Turkish 
women,  coming  chiefly  from  the  provinces  of 
Georgia  and  Circassia,  and  are  attired  in  exquisite 
garb  of  semi-European  character. 

Although  spoken  of  in  the  Orient  as  "slaves," 
many  of  these  young  women  have  the  simplest 
duties,  and  in  Europe  might  almost  be  regarded  as 
ladies  in  waiting  at  court.  It  was  a  woman  of  this 
class  that  was  taken  by  the  khedive  for  his  wife, 
and  the  published  accounts  of  the  marriage  may 
have  shocked  western-world  readers,  knowing  little 
of  actual  life  in  the  East.    It  was  in  keeping  with 

290 


The  Present  Khedival  Family 

Mohammedan  custom,  however,  and  was  most  pop- 
ular with  the  Egyptians. 

For  the  Koubbeh  estate  the  khedive  has  imported 
American  farm  machinery,  to  illustrate  the  advan- 
tages of  tilling  with  modern  appliances.  There  are 
extensive  stables  filled  with  choice  horses  from  va- 
rious parts  of  the  world.  The  position  of  honor 
is  given  to  a  magnificent  Arabian  steed  with  flow- 
ing tail,  sent  to  Abbas  Pasha  by  the  Sultan.  Close 
by  is  the  English  thoroughbred  Cedar,  presented 
by  the  late  Colonel  North,  and  in  a  neighboring 
stall  stands  an  American  trotter,  the  gift  of  an  ad- 
miring Philadelphian. 

The  dairy,  kennels,  and  poultry-yard  at  Koubbeh 
are  supplied  with  selected  animals  and  fowls  from 
every  clime,  and  in  them  the  khedive  takes  the 
keenest  interest.  For  the  work-people  there  is  a 
model  village,  with  mosque,  school,  and  meeting- 
place  where  discussion  is  encouraged  after  the 
lyceum  idea— all  supported  by  the  khedive,  to 
demonstrate  the  benefits  of  order,  cleanliness,  and 
community  of  interests.  The  native  fire-brigade, 
with  English  apparatus,  would  be  creditable  any- 
where. 

So  devoted  is  Egypt's  young  ruler  to  horses  that 
from  his  private  purse  he  maintains  a  commission 
to  improve  horse-breeding.  He  offers  valuable 
prizes  at  horse-shows,  and  himself  makes  entries 
for  the  races  during  the  Cairo  season,  when  it  not 
infrequently  happens  that  his  colors  are  carried  to 
victory  by  his  native  jockey.  The  khedive  enjoys 
driving,  and  may  often  be  met  in  the  outskirts  of 

291 


Present-Day  Egypt 

Cairo  or  Alexandria,  holding  the  reins  over  a  dash- 
ing pair,  and  accompanied  by  an  aide-de-camp  or 
one  of  his  many  relatives. 

Before  the  heat  of  summer  comes,  the  khedival 
establishment,  with  its  army  of  officials  and  atten- 
dants, moves  to  Alexandria.  Six  railway-trains  are 
required  to  transfer  the  court.  The  khedive  and 
his  ministers  and  other  high  officers  go  in  state  in 
an  observation  saloon-car  of  American  make. 

The  historic  structure,  Ras-el-Teen,  overlooking 
Alexandria  harbor,  is  treated  by  the  khedive  simply 
as  an  official  palace,  as  Abdin  is  in  Cairo.  The 
home-loving  instinct  has  caused  the  khedive  to 
create  a  summer  retreat  at  Montazah,  snugly  nestled 
on  the  picturesque  Mediterranean  coast,  a  few  miles 
to  the  east  of  Alexandria.  There  the  family  life, 
with  artistic  and  musical  surroundings,  is  carried 
on  in  charming  simplicity.  Perplexities  arising 
from  conferences  at  Has- el-Teen  are  left  in  the 
precincts  of  the  old  palace. 

A  mile  to  the  eastward  of  Montazah  is  Abukir 
Bay,  made  famous  by  Nelson's  victory  over  the 
French  fleet  little  more  than  a  century  ago.  Al- 
though Montazah  was  reclaimed  from  the  desert 
only  six  years  since,  forests  of  quick-growing  trees 
have  sprung  into  existence ;  many  varieties  of  game- 
birds  and  animals  have  been  domiciled  there,  in- 
cluding native  antelope  and  European  red  deer,  for 
the  khedive  is  an  ardent  sportsman.  In  a  remote 
part  of  the  estate  is  the  camp  of  the  khedive's 
camel-corps,  whose  Bedouin  riders  are  trained 
marksmen,  and  with  whom  he  makes  long  journeys 

292 


BISCHAKINS  IN    LHPKK    EGYPT. 


The  Present  Khedival  Family 

in  the  desert.  It  is  said  that  his  Highness  "bears  any 
amount  of  fatigue  when  on  these  excursions,  and 
his  caravan  frequently  marches  from  sunrise  to 
sunset  before  bivouacking  for  the  night. 

Montazah  harbor  shelters  many  boats,  including 
a  small  yacht  that  conveys  its  master  to  Alexandria 
when  he  prefers  the  sea  to  special  train  or  carriage. 
Safe  anchorage  is  assured  by  a  breakwater  costing 
two  hundred  thousand  dollars  to  construct. 

The  khedival  yacht  MaJiroussa,  of  forty-five  hun- 
dred tons  and  four  hundred  and  forty  feet  long,  is 
the  largest  in  the  world,  if  one  excepts  the  war- ship 
Hohensollern,  on  which  the  German  emperor  makes 
summer  cruises.  For  voyaging  to  Constantinople, 
cruising  in  the  Grecian  Archipelago,  or  going  to 
Triest  or  Venice,  if  the  trip  may  be  regarded  as 
"unofficial,"  the  khedive  employs  a  beautiful 
Scotch-built  yacht  of  seven  hundred  tons,  capable 
of  steaming  fourteen  knots  an  hour,  and  called 
Safa-el-Bahr,  the  Arabic  for  "  Joy  of  the  Sea." 

Khedive  Abbas,  with  his  family,  spends  two  or 
three  months  each  summer  in  Europe.  He  is  fond 
of  visiting  Switzerland  incognito  for  a  few  weeks' 
sojourn  in  a  high  altitude.  His  Highness  has  sev- 
eral times  made  protracted  stays  in  Constantinople. 
One  of  his  numerous  habitations  is  a  palace  on  the 
Bosporus,  presented  by  his  august  master,  the 
Sultan. 

In  a  nautical  talk  the  khedive  told  me  that  he 
was  not  the  best  of  sailors,  and  instanced  that  sad 
winter  voyage  when  summoned  from  Vienna  to 
assume  the  throne  of  Egypt.    Etiquette  demanded 

29J 


Present-Day  Egypt 

that  the  Austrian  emperor  place  a  steamer  at  the 
youth's  disposal,  with  an  escort  of  dignitaries  from 
the  Vienna  court.  The  vessel  was  old,  "perhaps 
fifty  years  old,  and  very  small,"  said  the  khedive. 
Violent  storms  had  made  the  Adriatic  and  Medi- 
terranean turbulent,  and  the  journey  from  Triest 
was  disagreeable  and  trying.  High  seas  retarded 
progress,  and  even  the  ship's  officers  wished  them- 
selves ashore.  At  Brindisi  Prince  Abbas  begged 
to  have  the  ship  wait  for  better  weather. 

"  I  must  not  stop.  Highness,"  was  the  admiral's 
reply,  "  for  it  is  the  emperor's  command  to  lose  no 
time,  and  the  etiquette  must  be  observed." 

When  the  peaceful  harbors  of  Greece  came  in 
sight,  the  khedive  again  pleaded  for  delay.  But 
the  punctilious  commander  insisted  that  "  the  eti- 
quette must  be  observed,  for  it  was  his  Majesty's 
order." 

This  was  too  much  for  the  poor  sufferer,  and  he 
remarked  to  the  ceremonious  officer :  "  Etiquette  is 
well  enough  in  its  place ;  but  his  Majesty  Francis 
Joseph  is  comfortable  in  Vienna,  and  not  seasick 
on  this  awful  ship." 

The  voyage  was  successfully  completed,  never- 
theless, and  the  day  after  landiog  on  Egyptian  soil 
the  illustrious  passenger  formally  took  upon  him- 
self the  rulership  of  Egypt. 

The  state  ball  given  each  winter  at  Abdin  Palace 
by  his  Highness,  besides  being  the  most  important 
social  occurrence  of  the  year,  has  a  spectacular 
effect  not  to  be  excelled  anywhere  by  any  similar 
function.    In  its  variety  and  contrasts  it  ecUpses 

296 


The  Present  Khedival  Family 

the  governor-general's  at  Algiers,  so  often  painted 
by  great  artists,  and  is  claimed  to  be  a  pageant 
equal  to  the  viceroyal  ball  at  Calcutta.  The  khe- 
dive's  annual  ball  occurs  usually  in  January  or 
February,  and  brings  together  representative  types 
of  nearly  every  race  of  Europe,  Africa,  and  Asia, 
with  a  very  liberal  sprinkling  of  Americans. 

Conspicuous  in  the  medley  of  brilliant  uniforms 
are  those  of  diplomatic  celebrities  and  the  leaders 
of  the  Egyptian  army  and  the  army  of  occupation, 
glittering  with  orders.  There  are  present  officials 
of  every  hue  of  countenance,  including  mudirs  and 
omdehs  from  distant  Egyptian  provinces.  Bedouin 
sheiks  from  the  Red  Sea  coast,  and  perhaps  Indian 
princes  breaking  their  journey  to  or  from  England 
for  a  few  weeks'  participation  in  the  gaieties  of  the 
khedival  city.  Abbas  Pasha's  hostship  elicits  gen- 
eral admiration.  He  receives  those  bidden  to  the 
festivity  with  a  graceful  cordiality,  and  makes  a 
point  of  displaying  his  gallantry  to  the  ladies  of  the 
diplomatic  corps,  whose  pleasant  duty  it  is  to  stand 
by  his  side  and  receive  with  him.  The  dancing 
begun,  he  appears  to  find  much  satisfaction  in 
watching  the  moving  figures  in  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  ball-rooms  in  the  world.  A  box  of  gener- 
ous proportions,  duly  screened,  is  filled  with  the 
ladies  of  the  khedival  family,  who  watch  the  bril- 
liant scene,  unperceived  by  those  participating  in 
it.   The  supper  is  a  liberal  education  in  gastronomy. 


297 


CHAPTER  X 

GREAT  BRITAIN'S   POSITION   IN   EGYPT 

THE  Egyptian  question  is  perennial,  but 
American  readers  know  only  that  version 
of  it  which  British  writers  prepare,  and  this,  natu- 
rally, is  apt  to  reflect  their  partizan  bias.  Most 
published  opinion  is  so  treated  that  the  casual 
reader  is  led  to  believe  that  by  some  feat  of  diplo- 
macy, long  forgotten  by  him,  the  ancient  land  of  the 
Pharaohs  has  been  segregated  from  the  Ottoman 
empire  and  incoi*porated  as  an  integral  part  of 
Queen  Victoria's  realm.  This  is  in  effect  what  has 
been  done,  but  accomplished  more  through  the  co- 
operation of  circumstances  than  by  any  precon- 
ceived intention  to  secure  control  of  the  country. 

Briefly  stated.  Great  Britain's  visible  right  to 
wield  a  dominating  influence  in  Egypt  is  that  she 
is  in  "  occupation  "  with  an  armed  force,  and  this 
only.  In  theory,  at  least,  "occupation"  means 
much  less  than  "  protectorate,"  and  diplomacy  has 
heretofore  regarded  it  as  a  word  fitting  a  tempo- 
rary expedient.  But  England  does  not  bother 
about  definitions.  In  point  of  fact,  the  Nile  coun- 
try has- for  seventeen  years  been  more  absolutely 
governed  from  London  than  has  India,  Canada,  Aus- 

298 


Britain's  Position  in  Egypt 

tralia,  or  any  crown  colony ;  yet  between  England 
and  Egypt  there  is  no  tie  that  is  officially  recognized 
by  any  European  power.  While  Britain  is  prob- 
ably permanently  established  in  Egypt,  she  has 
yet  to  legalize  her  position.  Meanwhile,  the  welfare 
of  the  people  of  Egypt  improves  each  year,  Eng- 
land has  become  indifferent  to  the  expressions  of 
dissatisfaction  by  her  only  outspoken  critic,  France, 
and  the  cause  of  humanity  and  progress  is  steadily 
benefited  by  the  British  occupation,  anomalous 
though  it  be.  The  Sultan  is  the  only  person  pos- 
sessing an  absolute  right  to  demand  a  halt  or  a 
declaration  of  intentions  on  the  part  of  the  British 
government ;  and  the  khedive  can  make  his  com- 
plaint of  abridgment  of  authority  only  to  his  im- 
perial master  at  Constantinople. 

To  discuss  now  the  moral  right  of  Great  Britain 
to  a  foothold  in  Egypt  is  as  superfluous  as  for  a 
lawyer  to  argue  in  court  that  the  state  cannot 
arrest  his  client,  when  he  is  already  a  prisoner 
behind  the  bars. 

Not  one  Englishman  in  a  thousand  has  two 
opinions  on  the  subject  of  national  expansion;  if 
he  has  views  against  territorial  acquisition,  he  never 
parades  them  in  public  prints  to  be  read  in  other 
countries.  This  is  a  basic  principle  of  the  Briton's 
idea  of  patriotism.  Frenchmen  twit  the  British 
with  being  afflicted  with  the  square-mile  mania, 
and  insist  that  the  excuse  for  ministering  to  this  is 
never  analyzed  so  long  as  an  additional  foot  of 
soil  may  be  incorporated  within  that  charmed  zone 
of  red  encircling  the  earth,  on  which  the  sun 

299 


Present-Day  Egypt 

never  sets.  On  the  other  hand,  Englishmen  say 
with  truth  that  were  this  instinct  non-existent  in 
their  race,  there  would  to-day  be  no  British  em- 
pire, and  maintain  that  the  world  is  enriched 
through  their  achievements  as  empire-builders.  It 
seems  to  be  an  impulse  difficult  of  suppression  in 
the  Anglo-Saxon,  wherever  his  abode. 

Since  France  withdrew  in  1883  from  the  dual 
control  with  England  of  the  finances  of  the 
khedival  government,  Egypt  has  been  in  every- 
thing but  name  a  dependency  of  Great  Britain, 
the  French  in  the  meantime  trying  to  resume  their 
share  in  its  administration.  More  than  once  they 
have  urged  the  Sultan  to  interfere  and  order  the 
English  from  his  domain,  and  for  many  years 
they  have  doggedly  obstructed  Britain's  conduct 
of  Egyptian  affairs,  but  with  little  success. 

Englishmen  deny  that  there  has  ever  been  any 
serious  thought  of  annexing  Egypt;  that  would 
be  grossly  unjust  to  the  Sultan  and  his  vassal,  the 
khedive,  they  confess,  and  lead  to  endless  diplo- 
matic controversy.  The  occupation  was  entered 
upon  with  an  unselfish  motive,  and  was  dictated 
by  necessity,  they  say;  but  temporary  expedients 
have  the  awkward  knack  of  developing  into  per- 
manent conditions  the  world  over.  The  routing  of 
the  khalifa  and  his  dervish  mob  at  Omdurman  by 
the  Anglo-Egyptian  expedition  led  by  Kitchener, 
the  hoisting  of  the  flags  of  Turkey  and  Great  Brit- 
ain jointly  over  Khartum,  the  entering  upon  a 
scheme  for  constructing  Nile  reservoirs  that  cannot 
be  completed  for  five  years   at  least,  and  Cecil 

300 


LORD  KITCHENER,   SIRDAR  OF  THE  EGYPTIAN  ARMY 
AND  GOVERNOR-GENERAL  OF  THE  SUDAN. 


Britain's  Position  in  Egypt 

Ehodes's  materializing  project  for  building  with 
British  money  a  Cape-to-Cairo  railway,  taken  to- 
gether, cannot  give  the  foes  of  British  domination 
in  Egypt  much  hope  for  expecting  any  radical 
change  of  program  for  many  years  to  come.  I 
am  told  that  to  this  day  there  is  periodical  specu- 
lation in  Spain  as  to  when  England  may  be  ex- 
pected to  restore  to  the  Spanish  government  the 
rock  of  Gibraltar.  Having  this  event  always  in 
contemplation,  the  Madrid  council  has  for  a  cen- 
tury regularly  appointed  a  grandee  to  the  governor- 
ship of  the  rocky  promontory  that  gives  Great 
Britain  control  of  the  Mediterranean.  The  depar- 
ture of  the  English  from  Egypt  is  as  unlikely  to 
happen  as  their  restoration  of  Gibraltar  to  the 
Spaniards. 

The  statesmen  guiding  France  in  1882  claimed  to 
recognize  no  necessity  for  bombarding  Alexandria, 
and  when  it  was  decided  that  England's  ships  were 
to  fire  upon  the  city,  the  French  admiral  was 
ordered  to  remove  his  fleet  from  the  scene  of  con- 
flict. Frenchmen  still  insist  that  the  Arabi  rebellion 
could  have  been  successfully  dealt  with  on  shore, 
and  that  the  razing  of  Alexandria  was  wanton  de- 
struction. When  the  war- ships  of  France  steamed 
away  from  Alexandria  they  decided  the  fate  of 
their  country  as  a  participator  in  the  affairs  of 
Egypt,  and  the  record  of  that  July  day  is  an  event- 
ful page  in  French  history,  and  marks  the  beginning 
of  the  claim  on  the  part  of  England  to  govern 
single-handed  a  country  forming  no  part  of  the 
British  empire. 


Present-Day  Egypt 

It  is  known  that  England  invited  France  to  share 
the  responsibilities  of  the  bombardment ;  but  it  is 
not  known  that  France  was  urged  to  cooperate  in 
the  enterprise,  or  that  anything  was  said  on  the 
point  of  a  division  of  the  spoils  that  would  naturally 
fall  to  the  power  or  powers  undertaking  the  quell- 
ing of  the  Arabi  insurrection.  At  all  events,  the 
French  fleet  took  its  leave  of  the  country  where 
French  sympathies  and  influence  had  prevailed 
from  the  going  there  of  Napoleon  in  1798.  As  de- 
tailed in  another  chapter,  Britain's  fleet  remained 
and  reduced  the  best  part  of  Alexandria  to  dust, 
making  a  prisoner  of  the  rebel  leader,  and  in  a 
brief  period  stamped  out  what  had  been  an  in- 
differently planned  uprising  of  that  portion  of 
Egypt's  population  easily  swayed  to  fanaticism. 

If  Englishmen  have  any  really  vital  interest  in 
Africa,  it  is  to  monopolize  the  Nile,  which  means 
more  to  their  nation  than  the  control  of  the  Niger, 
the  Kongo,  and  the  Zambesi  combined ;  for  the  Nile 
is  as  potential  commercially  as  it  is  politically,  and 
the  country  lying  at  its  mouth  is  the  strategical 
keystone  to  Britain's  Indian  and  Eastern  super- 
structure. Statesmen  and  publicists  throughout 
Europe  are  perpetually  discussing  what  they  term 
the  Egyptian  question  or  the  Sudan  question,  and 
dilating  upon  the  rights  of  England  in  Egypt ;  but 
these  are  minor  themes  and  subordinate  to  the 
great  Nile  question. 

Great  Britain  already  controls  every  foot  of  the 
Nile  valley  not  in  barbaric  hands,  means  to  have  it 
all,  and  has  no  intention  of  sharing  the  river  with 

304 


Britain^s  Position  in  Egypt 

any  other  European  power.  Khartum  now  reached, 
England  will  stop  at  nothing  to  bring  the  valley 
intervening  between  Khartum  and  the  equatorial 
lakes  safely  within  her  dominion.  Under  no  cir- 
cumstances would  Britain  share  her  control  of  any 
important  part  of  the  Nile  with  France,  and  she  is 
ready  to  resist  by  force  of  arms  any  movement 
directed  at  a  curtailment  of  her  aspirations.  Her 
attitude  at  the  time  of  the  Fashoda  incident  proved 
this,  and  did  much  to  bring  France  to  an  under- 
standing as  to  the  relative  spheres  of  influence 
of  the  two  governments  in  Africa. 

The  southern  provinces  being  now  reconquered, 
and  railways  from  Assuan  to  Khartum,  and  from 
the  Red  Sea  to  Khartum,  either  planned  or  building, 
in  effect  making  the  Sudan  a  British  colony,  Eng- 
land at  some  time  may  believe  it  to  her  advantage 
to  relax  her  grip  on  Egypt  and  withdraw  her  troops 
from  Cairo  and  Alexandria.  But  diplomatic  bick- 
ering or  pressure  will  never  bring  about  this  result, 
and  no  nation  is  alone  sufficiently  strong  to  enter 
upon  actual  warfare  to  oust  the  British  from  their 
position.  The  strength  of  the  Muscovite  may 
scarcely  be  expected  to  be  ever  directed  against 
England  in  a  contest  for  Egypt— the  stakes  would 
be  too  small ;  and  Russia,  however  pronounced  her 
sentimental  attachment  to  France,  is  not  going 
to  embark  in  war  to  further  the  ambitions  of  her 
volatile  friend.  Germany,  while  perhaps  regarding 
England's  methods  in  Egypt  as  forming  a  startling 
precedent  in  statecraft,  has  not  sufficient  inter- 
est to  initiate  any  active  campaign  in  connec- 


Present-Day  Egypt 

tion  therewith.  Italy,  again,  is  in  spirit  England's 
ally  in  more  than  one  African  enterprise;  and 
Austria,  by  reason  of  being  the  Sultan's  nearest 
neighbor,  chooses  to  keep  her  hands  free  from  the 
Egyptian  imbroglio  from  politic  motives.  Hence 
it  is  no  longer  necessary  for  Englishmen  to  pretend 
that  the  occupation  will  end  when  Egypt  "  becomes 
capable  of  self-government,"  or  when  "  normal  con- 
ditions in  the  country  have  been  restored."  No- 
thing but  England's  voluntary  action  can  bring 
about  her  evacuation  of  the  Lower  Nile  valley  and 
the  Delta. 

The  Czar  aims  at  becoming  the  dictator  of  things 
Asiatic,  possibly  omitting  India  for  the  present. 
By  brilliant  diplomacy  Eussia  acquired  nearly  all 
the  increment  of  benefit  going  to  Japan  as  a  re- 
sult of  Japan's  victory  over  China ;  and  her  influ- 
ence in  Korea  is  well-nigh  paramount,  as  it  is  also 
in  Persia.  Russia  has  various  ways  of  reaching 
the  East  independent  of  the  Suez  Canal ;  she  em- 
ploys Persia  as  a  connecting  overland  link  with 
India,  or  can  even  construct  a  railway  from  a  Syrian 
port  to  the  head  of  the  Persian  Gulf;  while  Eng- 
land's alternative  to  the  Suez  Canal  would  be  the 
old-time  Cape  route.  But  no  route  can  offer  a 
fraction  of  the  advantages,  commercial,  political,  or 
strategic,  of  the  Suez  waterway.  That  is  always 
going  to  be  the  favorite  avenue  to  the  East. 

Great  is  the  country  of  the  Czar  and  the  marvel- 
ous Siberian  railway.  The  country  is  vast  indeed, 
and  is  constantly  growing— has  a  chronic  taste  for 
expansion,  and  is  yearly  exhibiting  new  evidences 

306 


Britain's  Position  in  Egypt 

of  that  phase  of  its  national  character.  Russia  has 
within  a  few  months,  in  further  development  of  its 
expansion  proclivities,  secured  a  port  on  the  Per- 
sian Gulf,— that  is,  one  that  borders  on  the  Indian 
Ocean, — and,  what  is  ^-itally  important,  has  come  to 
an  agreement  with  England  regarding  their  respec- 
tive aspirations  in  China.  The  aim  of  this  agree- 
ment is  to  put  an  end  to  the  battle  for  concessions, 
railway  and  other,  which  raged  acrimoniously  for 
two  years.  The  Russian  object  is  to  avoid  a  con- 
flict which  would  interfere  with  the  successful  ex- 
ploitation of  the  transcontinental  railway,  on  which 
she  has  spent  an  enormous  sum,  and  also  to  get 
funds  from  Great  Britain  when  needed  for  the  de- 
velopment of  industries  at  home. 

Russia's  desire  to  avoid  British  opposition  may 
be  taken  to  mean  that  the  Northern  Bear  will  be 
slow  to  direct  its  gaze  toward  Egypt  in  a  menacing 
manner.  Two  centuries  ago  Russia  had  but  a  sin- 
gle sea-outlet,  the  Gulf  of  Finland.  Later  she  se- 
cured control  of  the  eastern  Baltic  and  obtained  a 
free  course  to  the  North  Atlantic.  Once  more  she 
reached  out  and  gained  an  outlet  into  the  Mediter- 
ranean through  the  Black  Sea.  Again  she  reached 
out  for  the  eastern  Asiatic  trade  and  attained  that 
object,  and  a  few  months  ago  she  acquired  a  port 
on  the  Indian  Ocean  and  came  to  an  understanding 
with  John  Bull  respecting  Chinese  matters;  and 
this  can  have  no  other  meaning  than  "  hands  off  " 
in  Egypt. 

England  has  certainly  so  interwoven  the  destinies 
of  the  country  of  the  Nile  with  her  own  that  evacu- 


Present-Day  Egypt 

ation  could  be  accomplished  only  with  great  con- 
fusion to  a  policy  under  which  Egyptian  finances 
have  not  only  been  repaired,  but  placed  on  a  foot- 
ing of  enviable  solvency. 

The  Dongola  expedition,  a  few  years  since, 
afforded  opportunity  for  England  to  show  Euro- 
pean military  critics  and  strategists  the  possibilities 
of  her  imperial  resources  in  a  defensive  way,  by 
bringing  from  India  several  native  regiments  which 
garrisoned  Suakim  and  other  Red  Sea  ports  dur- 
ing the  months  when  the  entire  Egyptian  army  was 
concentrated  on  the  Upper  Nile.  It  would  not  be 
difficult,  at  any  time,  for  Great  Britain  to  place  a 
good-sized  army  of  Indians  in  the  Nile  valley,  in- 
dependent of  her  naval  position  in  the  Mediterra- 
nean, if  she  dared  weaken  her  strength  in  India  for 
a  time.  Rail  connection  between  the  Red  Sea  and 
the  Upper  Nile  would  render  this  easy. 

The  reconquest  of  the  Sudan  cannot,  for  a  year 
or  two  at  least,  mean  that  the  provinces  south  of 
Dongola  are  open  to  trade.  The  whole  region 
about  Khartum,  and  for  hundreds  of  miles  up  and 
down  the  Nile  valley,  is  practically  depopulated 
as  a  consequence  of  the  years  of  tyranny  and  mis- 
rule of  the  khalifa.  To  bring  the  natives  back  to 
the  peaceful  pursuits  of  agriculture  and  its  con- 
comitant interests  can  be  accomplished  only  gradu- 
ally by  Lord  Kitchener  and  his  assistants.  Not 
until  this  is  done,  and  the  Anglo-Egyptian  author- 
ity organized  in  all  its  civil  ramifications,  can  the 
Sudan  be  regarded  as  "  open "  to  the  world.  It 
will  be  a  long  time,  at  all  events,  before  the  Su- 

308 


Britain's  Position  in  Egypt 

dan  will  be  able  to  pay  its  way;  but  with  good 
management  it  should  eventually  become  a  con- 
tributor to  the  Cairo  exchequer. 

It  is  interesting  to  observe,  by  recorded  official  ut- 
terances and  the  sequence  of  events,  how  the  reten- 
tion of  Egypt  by  Great  Britain  could  not  have  been 
seriously  considered  until  years  after  the  occupa- 
tion had  been  entered  upon.  Oftentimes  it  is  en- 
tertaining to  follow  the  development  of  an  idea, 
especially  one  having  for  its  consummation  a  result 
or  condition  the  very  opposite  of  the  purpose  de- 
clared at  the  outset.  To  begin  the  evolution  of  the 
idea  of  permanently  retaining  Egypt,  it  is  instruc- 
tive to  state  that  the  Gladstone  government,  which 
sent  the  troops  and  ships  to  Egypt  in  1882,  asserted 
that  British  intervention  was  made  solely  in  the 
interests  of  humanity,  and  for  the  purpose  of  sup- 
pressing the  Arabi  rebellion  and  restoring  the  au- 
thority of  the  khedive.  These  pledges,  although 
addressed  to  no  specific  government,  were  accepted 
in  Europe  in  good  faith. 

A  few  hours  before  opening  the  bombardment  of 
Alexandria,  the  commander  of  the  British  fleet  said, 
in  a  formal  communication  to  Khedive  Tewfik: 
"  I  deem  it  opportune  to  reaffirm  to  your  Highness 
that  the  government  of  Great  Britain  has  no  in- 
tention to  effect  the  conquest  of  Egypt,  nor  to  in- 
terfere in  any  way  with  the  liberties  or  religion  of 
the  Egyptians;  its  sole  object  is  to  protect  your 
Highness  and  the  Egyptian  people  from  the  rebels." 

Admiral  Seymour  spoke  with  the  authority  of 
his  government  in  this  momentous  matter,  as  did 

3" 


Present-Day  Egypt 

General  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley,  who  led  the  later 
campaign  on  shore,  when,  to  hasten  the  restoration 
of  law  and  order,  after  the  rebellion  had  been 
crushed,  he  said  in  a  proclamation  to  the  people 
of  Egypt:  "The  general  in  command  of  the 
British  forces  wishes  to  make  known  that  the 
object  of  her  Majesty's  government  in  sending 
troops  to  this  country  is  to  reestablish  the  author- 
ity of  the  khedive.  .  .  .  The  general  in  command 
will  be  glad  to  receive  visits  from  chiefs  who  are 
willing  to  assist  in  repressing  the  rebellion  against 
the  khedive,  the  lawful  ruler  of  Egypt  appointed  by 
the  Sultan." 

Even  that  ablest  of  diplomatists.  Lord  Dufferin, 
then  ambassador  to  the  Sultan,  formally  announced, 
over  his  signature,  that  England,  by  her  interfer- 
ence in  Egypt,  was  "  seeking  no  territorial  advan- 
tage, nor  the  acquisition  of  any  exclusive  privilege, 
nor  any  commercial  advantage  for  her  subjects 
which  cannot  be  obtained  equally  for  the  subjects 
of  any  other  nation." 

Arabi  was  tried  in  Cairo  for  treason,  defended  by 
English  barristers,  found  guilty,  and  sentenced  to 
death.  His  campaign  cry  of  "  Egypt  for  the  Egyp- 
tians "  in  a  way  stamping  him  as  a  patriot,  and  the 
people  enrolled  under  his  banner  having  some  show 
of  reason  for  their  objection  to  the  frequent  inter- 
ference of  foreign  powers  clamoring  for  money, 
his  sentence  was  promptly  modified  to  banishment 
for  life. 

English  influence  was  responsible  for  the  com- 
mutation of  the  sentence,  and  Great  Britain,  which 

312 


Britain's  Position  in  Egypt 

seemingly  takes  upon  itself  the  task  of  policing  half 
the  world,  sent  Arabi  and  his  principal  supporters 
into  exile  in  British  territory,  for  a  crime  in  no  sense 
committed  against  England.  Thus,  for  usurping 
the  khedival  prerogative,— which,  plainly  stated, 
can  have  no  other  meaning  than  the  right  to  direct 
the  administration  of  Egypt,— Arabi  was  guilty  of 
an  offense  punishable  by  death  or  deportation. 

The  British  government  announced,  shortly  after 
the  crushing  of  Arabi,  that  its  "army  of  occupa- 
tion "  would  be  withdrawn  as  soon  as  law  and  order 
could  be  restored,  and  a  date  six  months  thence 
was  actually  fixed  for  the  departure  of  the  troops. 
Her  philanthropic  task  not  being  completed,  in  her 
opinion,  at  the  end  of  the  six  months,  an  extension 
of  time  for  another  six  months  was  made.  At  all 
events,  the  occupation  was  to  last  only  for  the  brief 
period  that  would  be  necessary  to  teach  the  Egyp- 
tians the  easy  art  of  self-government.  But  the 
soldiers  have  never  left  Egypt. 

Thus  the  word  "  occupation  "  promises  for  many 
years  to  be  applied  to  a  novel  operation  in  terri- 
torial expansion,  entered  upon  in  the  name  of  hu- 
manity ;  and  the  right  of  ruling  Egypt,  taken  from 
the  khedive  by  Arabi  the  rebel,  and  technically 
wrested  from  him  by  Great  Britain,  will  probably 
never  again  fully  reside  in  the  family  of  Mehemet 
Ali.  Military  occupation  indefinitely  extended,  as 
illustrated  in  Egypt,  amounts  to  annexation.  The 
present  system  is  called  euphemistically  by  some  a 
"  veiled  protectorate." 

The  mind  of  the  reader  is  certain  to  revert  to  the 


Present-Day  Egypt 

utterance  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States, 
when,  in  declaring  war  against  Spain  to  free  the 
people  of  Cuba,  it  was  stated  in  language  so  clear 
that  ambiguity  was  out  of  the  question :  "  That  the 
United  States  hereby  disclaims  any  disposition  or 
intention  to  exercise  sovereignty,  jurisdiction,  or 
control  over  said  island,  except  for  the  pacification 
thereof,  and  asserts  its  determination  when  that  is 
accomplished  to  leave  the  government  and  control 
of  the  island  to  its  people."  The  Englishman,  alert 
in  seeking  instances  that  tend  to  justify  Britain's 
position  in  Egypt,  believes  and  hopes  that  he  is 
to  have  a  helpful  parallel  in  the  outcome  of  our 
relations  with  Cuba. 

Englishmen  make  a  point  of  recalling  that  the 
Sultan  declined  to  send  Turkish  troops  to  quell  the 
Alexandrian  disorders  in  1882,  and  they  likewise 
point  to  Tunis,  when  justifying  their  attitude  to- 
ward Egypt,  and  assert  that  France  is  doing  with 
that  country  exactly  what  the  British  are  doing 
with  Egypt. 

There  is  now  and  then  a  spasmodic  demand  in 
the  British  Isles,  raised  by  "Little  Englanders," 
that  England's  hand  be  lifted  from  Egypt,  that  the 
Tory  policy  of  grab  be  reversed.  Mr.  Gladstone 
stated  on  all  possible  occasions  that  Britain  had  no 
right  to  remain  in  Egypt,  and  politicians  of  the 
Dilke,  Harcourt,  Courtney,  Labouchere,  and  Mar- 
riott type  frequently  raise  their  voices  in  condemna- 
tion of  a  continuance  of  British  rule  in  Egypt. 
These  men  talk  only  when  their  party  in  Parlia- 
ment is  in  the  minority,  however ;  should  one  of 

3H 


Britain's  Position  in  Egypt 

them  find  himself  a  member  of  the  government  he 
would  in  all  probability  be  as  silent  on  the  subject 
of  evacuation  as  the  Sphinx  itself. 

Does  England  profit  sufficiently  from  her  re- 
tention of  Egypt  to  warrant  the  jealous  hatred  of 
France,  her  nearest  neighbor  ? 

Great  Britain  has  well-nigh  made  an  English 
lake  of  the  Mediterranean ;  the  outlet  of  this  lake, 
the  Suez  Canal,  is  the  key  to  the  whole  scheme  of 
British  rule  in  India  and  the  East.  To  control  the 
canal,  by  force  of  arms  if  necessary,  is  the  pre- 
dominant reason  why  England  remains  in  Egypt. 
It  serves  her  purpose  perfectly  to  have  five  thou- 
sand redcoats  within  a  few  hours'  journey  of  the 
great  international  waterway,  and  a  guardship  at 
each  terminus  of  it.  Without  the  absolute  con- 
trol of  this  connecting-link  between  Occident  and 
Orient,  thirty-six  million  people  in  Great  Britain 
could  not  expect  long  to  hold  in  subjection  four 
hundred  millions  in  India,  and  to  govern  a  quarter 
of  the  globe. 

Monetary  considerations  have  as  much  weight 
with  Englishmen  as  with  other  people.  As  perhaps 
half  of  Egypt's  bonded  debt  was  held  in  England 
when  the  occupation  began,  the  gradual  apprecia- 
tion of  the  value  of  Egyptian  securities  has  seemed 
to  Britishers  another  justification,  perhaps  of  secon- 
dary importance,  for  continuing  their  sojourn  in 
Egypt.  When  they  went  there,  it  must  be  ad- 
mitted, Egyptian  credit  was  as  low  as  it  well 
could  be. 

In  1882,  it  is  estimated,  English  people  owned 

315 


Present-Day  Egypt 

bonds  to  the  face-value  of  two  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  million  dollars,  and  these  could  not  have  been 
sold  then  for  more  than  half  that  sum.  "Egyp- 
tians "  are  now  quoted  at  a  premium  of  from  three 
to  six  per  cent.,  and  the  difference  between  the 
market  value  in  1882  and  the  value  to-day  of 
England's  supposed  financial  stake  in  Egypt  is  the 
comfortable  sum  of  one  hundred  and  forty  million 
dollars— sufficient  to  pay  for  the  army  of  occupa- 
tion for  more  than  a  century !  This  restoration  of 
Egyptian  credit  has  benefited  all  bondholders  pro- 
portionately—French, German,  Italian,  Austrian, 
and  Russian,  as  well  as  English. 

An  incidental  reason  why  Great  Britain  retains 
her  hold  upon  Egypt  is  that  the  cotton  crop  of 
the  Nile  valley  reduces  more  and  more  each  year 
the  dependence  of  British  spindles  upon  the  cotton- 
fields  of  the  United  States. 

There  are  also  several  considerations  of  minor 
importance  which  have  influenced  the  Egyptian 
policy  of  England.  The  reconquest  of  the  Sudan 
could  be  prosecuted  only  from  the  north,  and 
geographers  are  agreed  that  whoever  controls 
equatorial  Africa  and  the  sources  of  the  Nile  be- 
comes the  natural  holder  of  Egypt.  Therefore,  with- 
out Egypt  firmly  in  hand,  the  ambition  of  British 
map-makers  for  a  zone  of  territory  stretching  con- 
tinuously from  Cape  Town  to  Cairo,  and  bringing 
more  than  half  the  African  continent  under  British 
influence,  must  of  necessity  be  abandoned. 

The  statement  so  often  seen  in  French  journals 
that  Egypt  possesses  a  value  to  England  as  a  dump- 

316 


Britain's  Position  in  Egypt 

ing-ground  for  younger  sons  and  a  horde  of  civil 
and  military  functionaries,  furnishing  the  minimum 
of  usefulness  for  the  maximum  of  compensation,  is 
petty,  and  forms  no  part  of  a  scheme  of  such  mag- 
intude  as  the  practical  absorption  of  Egypt. 

The  land  of  the  Pyramids  has  become  a  short  cut 
to  English  honors,  as  the  Suez  Canal  is  to  the  Brit- 
ish possessions  in  the  East,  and  no  act  of  courage, 
benefit,  or  policy  on  the  part  of  a  British  military 
or  civil  official  there  passes  unrecognized  by  the 
home  government.  At  least  four  peerages  have 
fallen  to  British  servants  in  Egypt  since  the  bom- 
bardment of  Alexandria,  and  knighthood  and  lesser 
degrees  of  chivalry  have  been  apportioned  to  the 
Briton  serving  in  the  Nile  land  with  lavish  gen- 
erosity. In  most  cases  the  dignities  have  been 
merited,  doubtless,  under  England's  system  of  be- 
stowing rewards.  As  a  recognition  for  dealing  the 
death-blow  to  Mahdiism,  Kitchener's  peerage  and 
the  Parliamentaiy  grant  of  thirty  thousand  pounds 
sterling  were  not  excessive. 

Are  the  people  of  Egypt  materially  benefited  by 
English  rule? 

Unquestionably  they  are.  Unpopular  as  it  is 
with  a  majority  of  the  people  of  Egypt,  humiliat- 
ing to  the  Sultan  and  the  khedive,  and  at  times 
bitterly  criticized  in  Europe,  the  occupation  has 
done  vast  good.  No  fair-minded  investigator  can 
witness  the  present  condition  of  the  Egyptian  fel- 
laheen, or  peasantry,  knowing  what  it  was  before 
the  advent  of  the  English,  without  conceding  this. 
For  six  or  eight  years  Egypt  has  fairly  teemed  with 

3^9 


Present-Day  Egypt 

prosperity.  The  story  of  that  country's  emergence 
from  practical  bankruptcy,  with  its  securities 
quoted  nearly  as  high  as  English  consols,  reads  like 
a  romance;  and  there  is  no  better  example  of 
economical  progress  through  administrative  re- 
form than  is  presented  by  Egypt  under  British 
rule. 

Security  is  assured  to  person  and  propert}^,  sla- 
very has  been  legally  abolished,  official  corruption 
is  almost  a  thing  of  the  past,  forced  labor  for  pub- 
lic works  is  no  longer  permitted,  and  native  courts 
have  now  more  than  a  semblance  of  justice.  Hygi- 
enic matters  have  been  so  carefully  looked  after  that 
the  population  has  increased  from  seven  to  nearly 
ten  millions  in  a  decade  or  more.  Land-taxes  have 
been  lowered  and  equalized  and  are  systematically 
collected,  and  scientific  irrigation  is  so  generally 
employed  that  the  cultivable  area  has  been  consid- 
erably extended.  Egypt  was  probably  never  so 
prosperous  as  at  the  present  time.  The  debt  is 
being  slightly  reduced,  and  will  be  made  less  bur- 
densome, as  time  goes  on,  by  the  increased  produc- 
tiveness of  the  soil.  It  is  indeed  a  mighty  stride 
from  the  Egypt  of  Ismail  Pasha  to  the  Egypt  of 
Lord  Cromer. 

The  present  external  debt  of  Egypt  is  approxi- 
mately five  hundred  and  eight  million  dollars,  and 
it  is  a  popular  error  that  it  has  been  reduced  since 
the  advent  of  the  English.  As  a  fact,  it  has  been 
increased  by  forty  million  dollars.  This  went  to 
indemnify  Alexandrians  whose  property  was  de- 
stroyed at  the  time  of  the  rebellion  and  bombard- 

320 


Britain's  Position  in  Egypt 

ment,  to  defray  the  cost  of  the  military  campaign 
resulting  in  the  loss  of  the  Sudan,  for  the  recent 
reconquest  of  the  Sudan  provinces,  and  for  certain 
public  works  deemed  imperatively  necessary. 

By  her  management  of  affairs  England  has, 
nevertheless,  so  improved  the  conditions  in  Egypt 
that  European  bondholders  have  been  satisfied  to 
have  the  interest  on  their  bonds  reduced  from  seven 
to  three  and  a  half  or  four  per  cent. 

England  possesses  a  capacity  for  conducting 
colonies  and  rehabilitating  run-down  countries 
which  amounts  almost  to  genius.  Overbearing  and 
arrogant  as  the  British  functionary  out  of  England 
often  appears  to  be,  he  must  be  scrupulously  hon- 
est and  generally  capable  to  find  a  place  in  the 
perfectly  organized  machinery  guided  from  Lon- 
don. Frenchmen  say  that  Egypt's  restoration  to 
prosperity  could  have  been  better  accomplished 
by  them,  and  some  allege  that  this  prosperity  is 
more  apparent  than  real,  charging  that  much  is 
neglected  in  the  desire  to  make  a  favorable  show- 
ing in  the  yearly  balance-sheet.  But  a  frank 
investigation  of  what  France  does  with  her  own 
dependencies,  nearly  every  one  of  which  is  run  at 
a  loss,  gives  support  to  the  belief  that  Egypt  is 
better  off  under  British  guidance  than  she  could  be 
under  that  of  France.  No  alien  power  could  have 
done  better  in  Egypt  than  Great  Britain  has.  But 
her  critics  claim  to  recognize  scant  justification  for 
Britain's  absorption  of  the  country  of  the  khedive 
merely  because  of  her  ability  to  do  good  work 
there,  and  point  to  the  glaring  flaw  in  her  title. 

321 


Present-Day  Egypt 

Has  England  educated  the  Egyptians  to  govern 
themselves  1 

Not  as  yet,  certainly. 

England's  desire  to  remain  in  Egypt  could  not 
better  be  served  than  by  making  her  functionaries 
appear  essential  to  the  well-being  of  the  country ; 
in  fact,  by  making  progress  dependent  upon  her 
administrators,  accountants,  and  irrigation  experts. 
This  they  have  surely  done,  and  the  "  understudies  " 
of  these  clever  servants,  those  who  could  best  take 
their  places,  are  Englishmen,  not  Egyptians.  There 
are  many  hundred  native  subordinates  doing  the 
simplest  routine  work,  who  perceive  the  splendid 
results,  but  contribute  thereto  chiefly  by  their  sub- 
missiveness.  They  are  not  being  instructed  suffi- 
ciently to  keep  Egypt  from  retrogressing  should 
they  find  themselves  in  charge  of  affairs. 

The  khedive  is  compelled  to  yield  to  England  in 
all  matters  connected  with  the  choice  of  a  ministry, 
and  this  necessarily  results  in  a  partizan  cabinet 
acceptable  to  London.  On  occasions  when  the  khe- 
dive has  appointed  a  cabinet  officer  without  first 
securing  the  consent  of  England,  he  has  been 
promptly  called  to  account,  and  the  menacing  dis- 
play in  the  streets  of  his  capital  of  thousands  of 
British  guns  and  bayonets  has  not  abated  until  the 
office  has  been  filled  by  an  Egyptian  practically 
named  by  the  British  government. 

The  real  business  of  important  executive  depart- 
ments in  Cairo  is  directed  by  the  under-secretaries 
(assistant  ministers),  who  are  English,  and  their 
utterances  and  plans  formally  receive  the  sanction 

322 


AT  THE  BASK  OF  CUEOPS, 


Britain's  Position  in  Egypt 

of  their  Egyptian  chiefs.  The  native  minister  is 
the  visible  and  signatory  power,  the  creative  and 
actual  force  being  the  English  assistant.  Every- 
thing financial  is  dictated  by  an  "adviser,"  as  is 
nearly  everything  judicial,  and  these  functionaries 
are  British.  Similarly,  the  ministry  of  the  interior, 
presided  over  by  the  educated  and  capable  Egyp- 
tian premier,  is  also  largely  directed  by  an  "  ad- 
viser." 

Lord  Cromer  is  proud  of  the  British  assistants 
who  have  cooperated  with  him  in  the  work  of  re- 
habilitating Egypt,  and  especially  pleased  to  in- 
form inquirers  that  the  work  has  been  accomplished 
by  a  body  of  officials  not  exceeding  one  hundred 
in  number— a  record  that  we  in  America,  new  to 
colonial  administration,  will  do  well  to  consider. 
An  interesting  example  of  the  way  in  which 
English  officials  seek  to  carry  the  Egyptians  with 
them  is  afforded  by  some  recently  announced  sta- 
tistics. In  the  finance  ministry,  under  the  strictest 
British  tutelage,  13  English  and  513  natives  are 
employed;  in  the  department  of  the  interior,  dic- 
tated by  British  rule,  62  English  and  784  Eg}^> 
tians  find  employment.  In  the  offices  under  inter- 
national control  the  percentage  of  Britishers  is  very 
small.  For  example,  the  staff  of  the  mixed  courts 
consists  of  242  Europeans  (of  whom  17  are  British) 
and  101  Egyptians.  The  Caisse  de  la  Dette  em- 
ploys 50  Europeans  (2  being  British)  and  10 
Egyptians,  and  the  quarantine  board  has  48  Euro- 
pean and  19  native  employees. 

Each  year  sees  a  slight  augmentation  of  English- 

325 


Present-Day  Egypt 

men  on  the  Egyptian  pay-roll,  but  always  in  re- 
sponsible positions.  It  is  true  that  one  Englishman 
can  perform  the  work  of  two  native  clerks,  but  he 
gets  usually  the  pay  that  would  go  to  three.  There 
are  more  Frenchmen,  Syrians,  and  Italians  em- 
ployed by  the  Egyptian  government  than  English, 
probably.  Most  foreigners  in  the  Egyptian  service 
are  lavishly  paid,  wholly  from  the  Egyptian  ex- 
chequer. The  salary  of  an  "  adviser  "  is  about  ten 
thousand  dollars  a  year,  and  under-secretaries  re- 
ceive seventy-five  hundred  dollars. 

Seventeen  or  eighteen  years  is  a  considerable 
lapse  of  time  anywhere ;  in  the  East,  where  people 
mature  at  an  early  age,  it  represents  a  generation. 
Those  who  were  children  in  the  year  of  the  bom- 
bardment are  now  in  the  prime  of  their  lives,  and 
England  has  had  ample  time  to  fit  them  for  fair 
administrative  work;  yet  she  has  done  so  only 
in  small  measure. 

Uninfluenced  by  political  motive,  the  schools 
of  the  American  Presbyterian  Mission  have  done 
tenfold  more  for  the  cause  of  education  and  the 
spread  of  the  English  language  in  Egypt  than  has 
Great  Britain.  These  schools,  upward  of  a  hun- 
dred in  number,  are  distributed  throughout  the 
country,  and  are  yearly  elevating  thousands  of 
youths  to  a  better  condition,  teaching  them  in  par- 
ticular the  value  of  order  and  system.  At  Cairo, 
Alexandria,  Mansurah,  Luxor,  and  many  other 
places,  these  schools  for  years  have  done  a  noble 
work,  and  thousands  of  Egyptians  of  both  sexes 
owe  their  well-being  to  the  unselfish  devotion  of 

326 


Britain's  Position  in  Egypt 

the  men  and  women  teachers  of  the  American 
Mission.  The  college  of  the  Mission  at  Assiut,  long 
presided  over  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Alexander,  is  a  model 
institution  whose  standard  of  education  has  few 
rivals  in  the  Turkish  dominions. 

Since  England  has  done  but  little  to  develop  a 
class  that  may  in  time  take  the  positions  now  filled 
by  her  own  countrymen,  Anglophobe  critics  point 
to  this  as  confirmatory  evidence  of  the  insincerity 
of  the  statement  that  England  ever  intends  the 
Egyptians  to  take  the  helm  of  state. 

A  flagrant  error  of  British  administration,  until 
two  years  ago,  was  the  omission  to  introduce  the 
English  language.  Egypt  is  a  polyglot  country, 
and  the  incorporation  of  English  as  an  official 
language  might  with  propriety  have  followed 
the  introduction  of  the  present  system  of  affairs. 
French,  consequently,  remains  the  only  European 
language  known  to  any  extent  by  the  educated  na- 
tives ;  and  where  there  is  one  Egyptian  who  knows 
English,  forty  who  read  and  write  French  can  be 
found.  Only  one  of  the  khedive's  ministers  knows  a 
word  of  English,  yet  all  six  are  proficient  in  French. 

The  official  language  of  the  government  has  been 
French  for  many  years.  Official  publications  and 
correspondence  are  in  French.  It  is  the  European 
language  of  the  railways  and  postal  department. 
Postage-stamps,  railway-tickets,  and  telegraph 
forms,  actually  printed  in  England,  express  their 
values  and  conditions  in  French  and  Arabic.  Eng- 
lish employees  in  governmental  bureaus  write  offi- 
cially to  one  another  in  French,  frequently  to  the 

327 


Present-Day  Egypt 

confusion  of  the  ideas  intended  to  be  expressed. 
An  entire  department,  having  charge  of  museums 
and  the  conservation  of  antiquities,  employing 
thousands  of  natives,  is  exclusively  French  in  ad- 
ministration, although  supported  in  great  measure 
by  English-speaking  visitors.  So  long  as  the  Euro- 
pean language  of  the  Egyptian  official  remains 
French,  his  mode  of  thought  and  action  will  be 
French  also. 

In  Cairo  and  Alexandria  as  many  as  ten  newspa- 
pers are  printed  in  the  French  language,  purveying 
opinion  bitterly  hostile  to  the  occupation.  One  of 
these,  published  at  the  capital,  printed  daily  for 
years  in  display-type  a  list  of  Great  Britain's  bro- 
ken pledges  in  connection  with  the  occupation,  quot- 
ing from  Blue  Books  and  like  documents  such 
extracts  as  appeared  to  prove  its  case.  Only  one 
English  journal  is  published,  and  that  is  forced  to 
print  its  news  and  editorials  in  French  as  well  as 
English  to  secure  remunerative  circulation. 
-^  All  the  journals  printed  in  French  are  antago- 
nistic to  British  rule,  and  being  regarded  by  thou- 
sands as  oracles,  their  influence  is  far-reaching. 
From  their  columns  European  opinion  favorable  to 
the  anti-English  cause  is  translated  into  Arabic  by 
native  journalists,  who  read  French  and  know  not 
a  word  of  English,  and  finds  currency  in  the  native 
papers  penetrating  every  village.  Public  measures 
are  acrimoniously  reviewed  and  made  to  appear  to 
the  native  reader  as  added  evils,  and  any  reform 
introduced  by  England  can  have  its  merits  so  dis- 
torted as  to  be  always  regarded  by  the  common 

328 


Britain's  Position  in  Egypt 

people  as  absurd  or  tyrannical.  This  is  a  conspicu- 
ous reason  why  England's  work  in  Egypt  has  never 
been  popular  with  the  masses. 

Two  years  ago  two  hundred  and  fifty-six  stu- 
dents from  governmental  schools  presented  them- 
selves in  Cairo  for  examination,  prior  to  receiving 
diplomas.  Each  had  to  undergo  examination  in  a 
European  language,  chosen  with  a  view  to  equip- 
ping himself  for  a  career  of  usefulness.  Although 
the  British  had  long  dominated  their  country,  and 
with  every  indication  that  they  would  never  retire, 
only  fifty-five  of  these  students  had  acquired  Eng- 
lish ;  all  the  others,  seventy-eight  per  cent,  of  the 
whole,  had  learned  French.  Paraded  far  and  wide 
by  French  opponents  of  English  influence,  the 
preponderance  of  students  learning  French  was 
brought  home  to  those  guiding  British  policy  in 
Egypt,  and  attention  was  immediately  directed  to 
promoting  the  study  of  English  in  governmental 
schools.  The  Egyptian  father  being  not  slow  to 
catch  an  idea  that  concerns  his  welfare,  the  desire 
to  learn  English  suddenly  became  almost  epidemic 
with  native  lads.  That  they  were  encouraged  in 
this  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  a  few  months  ago 
the  percentage  of  pupils  in  governmental  schools 
studying  English  was  sixty-seven,  against  thirty- 
three  learning  French. 

From  the  time  of  Mehemet  Ali  the  traditions  and 
sympathies  of  the  people  of  Egypt  have  been  essen- 
tially French,  and  it  has  long  been  the  policy  of  the 
French  government  to  encourage  Egyptian  youths 
to  enter  their  educational  establishments ;  the  mat- 

329 


Present-Day  Egypt 


ter  of  compensation  has  ever  been  a  nominal  con- 
sideration. 

English  has  never  been  made  an  official  language 
of  the  international  courts  of  Egypt,  yet  advocates 
therein  can  plead  in  Italian,  French,  and  Arabic  the 
principles  of  the  Code  Napoleon.  Steps  are  now 
being  taken,  however,  to  have  English  placed  on 
the  list  of  official  languages  for  pleadings,  with 
every  prospect  of  securing  the  assent  of  a  majority 
of  the  governments  interested  in  the  courts.  The 
United  States  will,  obviously,  assist  the  movement. 
A  beginning  has  been  made  within  a  few  months 
by  the  admission  of  legal  documents  in  English, 
and  by  the  appointment  of  several  registrars  who 
understand  English.  Still  England  cannot  hope  to 
rival  France  in  legal  matters  in  Egypt  for  many 
years  to  come,  for  every  young  Egyptian  aspiring 
to  the  profession  of  law  qualifies  therefor  at  the 
Cairo  School  of  Law,  maintained  by  the  French 
government,  and  takes  his  degree  in  France. 

All  these  conditions,  by  which  France  has  been 
hourly  in  evidence,  to  the  almost  total  effacement 
of  England,  have  contributed  to  the  bewilderment 
of  the  minds  of  the  natives.  British  trade  follows 
the  British  flag,  but  British  opinion  never  follows 
the  French  language,  surely. 

The  administrative  blunder  of  the  English  in  not 
bringing  in  their  language  with  the  beginning  of 
their  intelligent  reforms  is  half  responsible  for  the 
unpopularity  of  the  occupation,  whose  benefits 
would  surely  be  obliterated  and  forgotten  six 
months  after  the  departure  of  the  last  British 

330 


Britain's  Position  in  Egypt 

functionary.  This  is  one  of  the  best  reasons  given 
by  Englishmen  why  the  occupation  should  not  be 
terminated,  and  any  member  of  the  so-called  anti- 
English  party  in  Egypt,  if  asked  for  his  opinion, 
would  assert  that  the  omission  to  introduce  the 
English  language  into  his  country  was  a  triumph 
of  statecraft,  and  not  a  blunder  thereof.  "  Having 
no  intention  of  going,  the  Britishers  want  an  ex- 
cuse, even  a  lame  one,  for  remaining ;  and  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Anglophobe  press,  which  they 
purposely  refrain  from  counteracting,  creates  one," 
this  critic  would  say.  Travelers  have  long  known 
that  it  was  a  part  of  Britain's  policy  in  India  to 
allow  native  discontent  to  vent  itself  through  the 
local  press.  It  relieves  the  Indian  grumbler,  and 
does  not  hurt  the  English  official. 

Is  Egypt  capable  of  self-government  ? 

The  candor  prompting  one,  after  long  and  dis- 
interested study  of  Egyptian  matters  in  the  country 
itself,  to  say  that  England  has  performed  her  self- 
appointed  task  better  than  any  other  nation  could 
have  performed  it,  likewise  compels  one  to  state 
frankly  that  Egypt  is  not  capable  of  complete  self- 
government  at  the  present  time,  for  she  has  no  class 
of  officials  trained  in  the  higher  ranges  of  adminis- 
trative work.  No  other  nation  should  ever  be  per- 
mitted to  supplant  England  as  administrator  or 
"  occupier,"  certainly. 

The  khedive,  in  my  opinion,  is  sufficiently  earnest 
and  competent  to  guide  an  enlightened  policy  for 
carrying  on  the  affairs  of  his  country  without 
any  European  intervention.    He  would  have  at  his 

333 


Present-Day  Egypt 

command  a  group  of  progressive  men  like  Ti- 
grane,  Boutros,  Mustapha  Fehmy,  Fakhry,  Maz- 
loum,  Cherif,  and  Yakoub  Artin,  each  qualified  to 
render  excellent  service  as  an  independent  minister. 
As  in  times  prior  to  the  coming  of  the  English,  the 
khedival  government  could  employ  expert  or  tech- 
nical assistants  of  any  nationality  it  chose.  Ameri- 
can military  officers,  before  England's  assumption 
of  power,  gave  Egypt  as  good  an  army  as  it  ever 
had.  British  and  other  irrigationists  and  engineers 
having  services  to  sell  should  be  as  willing  to  labor 
for  Egypt  as  a  self-governing  administration  as 
they  are  under  a  regime  upheld  by  British  soldiers. 
In  this  way  perhaps  the  prerogatives  of  the  khedive 
might  be  restored,  and  the  "  running  shriek  of  de- 
nunciation "  of  the  army  of  occupation  be  silenced. 
Egypt  might,  and  might  not,  prosper  under  these 
changed  conditions.  But  there  is  little  likelihood 
of  her  being  permitted  to  try  the  experiment,  what- 
ever her  right,  and  "  Egypt  for  the  Egyptians  "  must 
remain,  in  all  probability,  a  sentimental  illusion. 
The  khedive  has  the  undoubted  right  to  govern  his 
country,  subject  only  to  his  imperial  sovereign  at 
Constantinople,  at  least  until  it  is  demonstrated 
that  he  is  incapable.  It  is  no  reckless  hazard, 
however,  to  predict  that  a  dozen  years  hence  all 
that  portion  of  the  Nile  valley  from  the  Mediter- 
ranean to  Khartum  and  farther  south  will  be  rep- 
resented in  school-books  as  a  pendant  from  Britain's 
red  girdle  of  the  globe.  How  it  is  to  be  accom- 
plished, legally  and  morally,  is  a  matter  regarding 
which  I  can  record  no  conjecture.  In  time  some- 

334 


Britain's  Position  in  Egypt 

thing  may  "  turn  up  "  helpful  to  the  legal  aspect  of 
England's  position  in  Egypt. 

To  get  rid  of  the  present  anomalous  position,  a 
great  many  people  in  the  British  Isles  and  else- 
where would  be  glad  if  diplomatic  fictions  could  be 
brushed  away,  and  the  whole  of  the  territory  tribu- 
tary to  the  Nile  openly  declared  to  be  a  portion  of 
Queen  Victoria's  empire.  But  at  present  the  British 
government  thinks  it  wiser  to  make  sure  of  the  sub- 
stance than  to  pay  attention  to  shadowy  phrases. 
British  withdrawal  would  be  an  act  of  justice  to 
sultan  and  khedive,  but  would  serve  no  other 
legitimate  interest.  To  annex  Egypt,  as  France 
did  Madagascar,  would  probably  stir  up  animosities 
resulting  in  war. 

The  masterly  victory  of  Turkish  troops  in  the 
Greek  war  was  a  blow  to  Englishmen  and  others 
who  believed  the  disintegration  of  the  Ottoman  em- 
pire to  be  near  at  hand.  They  had  already  ex- 
perienced a  set-back  when  the  Armenian  disorders 
failed  to  shake  the  Sultan's  throne,  and  the  result 
of  the  Greco-Turkish  war  caused  a  painful  awaken- 
ing as  to  the  true  state  of  the  health  of  the  "  Sick 
Man  of  Europe."  A  break-up  of  the  Sultan's  empire 
may  come  in  time,  and  Egypt  fall  to  England,  and 
Syria  to  France,  in  the  general  parceling  out  of 
Turkish  possessions.  But  the  "  Sick  Man  "  keeps 
such  watchful  attention  on  the  Bosporus  that  the 
scramble  for  Ottoman  territory  may  be  postponed 
for  many  a  long  year. 


335 


CHAPTER  XI 

WINTERING   IN   EGYPT   FOR  HEALTH'S   SAKE 

IN  consequence  of  the  warm  and  chemically  pure 
atmosphere,  Cairo  and  Upper  Egypt  offer  an 
ideal  climate  for  persons  suffering  from  consump- 
tion, anemia,  asthma,  and  rheumatism,  as  well  as 
for  those  convalescing  from  illnesses.  The  climate 
is  dry  and  tonic  throughout  the  year,  and  during 
the  season  when  travelers  are  there— from  Novem- 
ber to  the  end  of  March — these  characteristics  are 
more  observable  than  in  summer.  Violent  varia- 
tions of  temperature  are  unknown,  and  sunshine 
prevails  even  to  monotony.  It  may  truthfully  be 
said  that  the  Nile  valley  is  as  bountiful  in  rest  and 
recreation  to  the  invalid  as  in  matchless  sights  to 
the  tourist.  That  the  natural  conditions  will  suit 
all  health-seekers  would  be  a  statement  too  com- 
prehensive for  a  lay  writer  to  venture.  But  the 
ailments  that  would  be  benefited  by  a  winter  passed 
rationally  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile  greatly  out- 
number those  that  would  not.  The  word  "  miasma  " 
has  no  place  in  the  vocabulary  of  Cairo  or  Upper 
Egypt. 

The  annual  rainfall  in  Cairo  is  scarcely  more  than 
an  inch  and  a  half.    This  means,  perhaps,  but  three 


In  Egypt  for  Health's  Sake 

or  four  rainy  days  during  a  winter.  At  Mena 
House  and  Helouan  the  rainfall  is  generally  less 
than  in  the  capital,  while  at  Luxor  and  Assuan  a 
shower  is  regarded  by  the  natives  as  a  wonder  of 
nature.  Alexandria  and  other  places  on  the  Medi- 
terranean do  not  share  the  general  immunity  of 
the  rest  of  the  country  from  storms.  Cairo's  mean 
temperature  for  November,  December,  January, 
and  February  is  about  62°  F.,  as  compared  with  63° 
at  Orotava,  61°  at  Madeira,  and  49°  at  Nice  and 
Mentone.    Egypt  is  the  winterland  par  excellence. 

On  the  coldest  days  in  Cairo  the  thermometer 
never  falls  below  34°,  and  this  degree  of  frigidity 
occurs  only  at  long  intervals.  Some  Cairenes  re- 
call a  slight  snowfall  a  half-century  ago,  and  a  thin 
film  of  ice  on  pools  in  the  suburbs  may  be  seen  sev- 
eral times  in  the  average  winter.  This  is  caused 
by  the  desert  influence  on  the  early  morning  air, 
and  is  of  short  duration  after  sunrise.  The  cool 
nights  of  winter  give  the  air  much  of  its  stimulat- 
ing property;  and  in  summer,  however  hot  the 
days,  the  nights  are  nearly  always  made  comfor- 
table by  cooling  breezes  from  the  desert. 

The  Egyptian  year  has  but  two  seasons,  summer 
and  winter.  The  period  of  warm  weather  lasts  eight 
or  nine  months,  while  winter  is  confined  practically 
to  the  months  of  December,  January,  and  Febru- 
ary. It  is  only  in  July,  August,  and  September  that 
the  heat  is  intense ;  the  rest  of  the  year  is  climati- 
cally agreeable.  When  the  Nile  is  high,  in  the 
autumn,  there  is  at  times  sufficient  humidity  to 
cause  some  discomfort,  especially  when  the  humid- 

337 


Present-Day  Egypt 

ity  is  combined  ■with  a  run  of  abnormally  warm 
weatber.  The  period  of  comparatively  cold  weather, 
six  weeks  at  most,  commences  early  in  January. 
From  April  until  the  end  of  June  the  increase  of 
heat  is  gradual,  the  maximum  being  reached  usu- 
ally by  July  1;  but  in  some  years  the  highest 
temperature  is  not  recorded  until  August  or  Sep- 
tember. The  so-called  khamsin  period  sets  in  by 
the  middle  of  February,  with  its  parching  desert 
winds,  freighted  with  impalpable  particles  of  sand 
that  cannot  be  excluded  by  door  or  window.  Wher- 
ever air  has  access,  there  the  khamsin  leaves  its 
layer  of  dust.  The  word  "  khamsin  "  is  Arabic  for 
"  fifty,"  and  the  belief  is  that  this  is  the  number  of 
days  prior  to  the  summer  solstice  when  the  scorch- 
ing winds  are  liable  to  occur.  A  khamsin  generally 
lasts  two  days,  but  a  season  seldom  sees  more  than 
eight  or  ten  days  of  these  sand-storms.  It  is  no- 
thing to  be  dreaded,  beyond  making  it  desirable  to 
remain  indoors  during  its  prevalence.  Sufferers 
from  certain  forms  of  asthma  even  profess  to  enjoy 
a  khamsin  day. 

■^'It  is  difficult  to  believe  that  the  country's  in- 
creased canalization  and  the  added  area  of  vege- 
tation are  contributing  to  a  diminution  of  the 
frequency  and  force  of  the  khamsin,  when  one  real- 
izes the  overwhelming  expanse  of  desert  in  which 
these  winds  have  uninterrupted  play.  Like  the 
severity  of  New  England  winters,  the  force  of  the 
khamsin  in  the  Nile  valley  has  manifestly  been  mod- 
ified in  recent  years.  Those  who  wrote  of  Egypt  a 
hundred  or  even  fifty  years  ago  emphasized  their 

338 


In  Egypt  for  Health's  Sake 

descriptions  of  the  horrors  of  this  hot  wind.  If  the 
contemporary  development  of  Egypt  is  in  any  way 
affecting  the  blowing  of  the  khamsin,  as  many 
claim,  then  the  British  are  responsible  for  a  benefit 
heretofore  overlooked  by  their  championing  press. 
Alexandrian  boatmen,  a  few  years  ago,  in  enumer- 
ating their  reasons  for  not  favoring  the  English 
occupation  of  their  country,  would  claim  that  fish- 
ing had  become  impossible  in  certain  parts  of  the 
harbor.  "  The  fish  no  longer  bite  since  the  British 
came,"  they  would  say.  This  serious  charge,  if 
challenged,  would  lead  to  the  explanation  that  the 
debris  gathered  after  the  bombardment  of  1882,  in- 
cluding hundreds  of  tons  of  mortar  and  plaster, 
was  dumped  into  the  sea  at  points  where  naviga- 
tion would  not  be  impeded,  and  that  the  lime 
drove  the  fish  away,  never  to  return.  This  is  a 
fact. 

If  it  is  believed  that  Cairo  presents  too  many  se- 
ductive dissipations  for  the  health-seeker,  Mena 
House,  at  the  foot  of  the  Pyramids,  has  much  to 
offer  to  those  needing  rest  with  nerve-toning  sur- 
roundings, and  especially  those  having  weak  lungs. 
The  neighborhood  itself  possesses  enough  to  keep 
the  mind  profitably  employed  for  weeks ;  for  tow- 
ering over  Mena  House  are  the  Pyramids  of  Gizeh 
— in  fact,  the  hotel  is  built  with  material  removed 
from  titanic  Cheops,  though  it  is  scarcely  missed 
from  the  king  of  pyramids.  Close  by  is  the  Sphinx, 
as  mysterious  to  the  present-day  person  pursuing 
a  rest-cure  as  it  was  to  Napoleon  on  the  occasion 
of  his  midnight  invocation,  or  to  Herodotus,  or  the 


Present-Day  Egypt 

great  Rameses,  or  Menes  himself,  nerve-resting  in 
its  inscrutability. 

The  excursion  to  Sakkarah  and  Memphis  is  more 
easily  made  from  Mena  than  from  Cairo,  and  the 
choice  of  conveyances  ranges  from  camels  to  broad- 
wheeled  "sand-carts."  To  the  west  of  Mena  is 
desert,  stretching  far  and  wide  for  thousands  of 
miles,  to  Tripoli,  Algeria,  and  Morocco,  terminating 
only  when  the  Atlantic  Ocean  is  reached.  To  the 
east  is  the  Nile  valley,  and  Cairo  ten  miles  away. 
Polo  and  shooting  are  every-day  diversions.  More 
interesting  still  is  the  ever-present  opportunity  to 
study  the  human  species,  from  the  lordly  Bedouin 
sheik  to  the  highly  developed  product  of  latter-day 
civilization  in  Europe,  who,  maybe,  has  success- 
fully "tooled"  a  four-in-hand  coach  all  the  way 
from  Shepheard's,  over  a  faultless  road,  to  the  Mena 
piazza.  Of  the  two,  judged  physically,  the  brown 
son  of  the  desert  is  the  finer  and  better-visaged. 
"  Happily  possessed  of  a  golfing-ground  and  a  mar- 
ble swimming-bath,  as  well  as  a  resident  chaplain 
for  the  piously  inclined,  and  a  *  dark  room '  for  the 
ubiquitous  photographer,  what  more,"  asks  cynical 
Marie  Corelli  in  her  Egyptian  novel  "  Ziska,"  quot- 
ing from  the  Mena  House  advertisement,  "  can  the 
aspiring  soul  of  the  modern  tourist  desire  ? " 

It  surely  is  a  far  cry  from  invalidism  to  chicken 
incubators;  but  persons  who  have  lolled  away  a 
winter  at  Mena  can  hardly  expect  to  be  invalids 
when  February  or  March  comes.  By  that  time 
daily  jaunts  have  taken  the  place  of  physicians' 
prescriptions.    To  these  I  can  recommend  nothing 

342 


In  Egypt  for  Health's  Sake 

more  interestiDg  than  a  visit  to  an  "incubatory" 
in  any  one  of  the  native  villages  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  Pyramids.  It  will  be  found  that  the 
incubatory  is  constructed  of  sun-dried  bricks,  and 
so  arranged  internally  that  the  eggs,  placed  in 
mud-constructed  ovens  on  trays  cushioned  with  cut 
straw,  are  constantly  under  the  attendant's  view. 
No  scientific  apparatus  is  employed  by  this  man, 
not  even  a  thermometer.  He  knows  from  expe- 
rience and  his  own  feeling  how  much  heat-  is 
needed,  and  he  systematically  turns  the  eggs  sev- 
eral times  each  day  until  they  are  developed  into 
peeping  chicks.  These  hatching  establishments 
exist  throughout  Middle  and  Upper  Egypt,  and  in 
a  season  bring  fully  twenty  million  chickens  into 
the  world,  that  grow  up  to  be  scrawny,  unattrac- 
tive fowls.  The  industry  is  thousands  of  years  old, 
and  seems  conclusively  to  settle  the  question  of  a 
chicken's  maternity  by  allocating  that  parentage 
to  the  hen  laying  the  egg.  The  incubator  is  a 
foster-mother  only,  and  is  responsible  for  stifling 
the  "setting"  instinct  with  Egyptian  hens.  The 
keepers  of  the  incubatories  have  a  system  of  traffic 
with  peasant  farmers  by  which  eggs  are  purchased 
outright,  or  six  live  chicks  given  in  exchange  for 
a  dozen  fresh  eggs. 

Villa  life,  with  quietude  and  health-giving  air,  is 
offered  at  Matarieh,  six  or  eight  miles  to  the  east- 
ward of  Cairo.  Uninteresting  itself,  the  village  is 
surrounded  by  points  of  historical  association  in 
sufficient  number  to  keep  the  attention  of  sojourn- 
ers occupied  for  a  few  weeks  at  least.    The  plain 

343 


Present-Day  Egypt 

of  Heliopolis,  the  Virgin's  tree,  and  the  locale  of 
Kleber's  victory  over  the  Turkish  legion,  present 
possibilities  of  great  scope  to  the  reader  of  history. 
The  ostrich-farm  close  by,  and  the  neighboring 
khedival  estate  of  Koubbeh,  are  objects  of  inter- 
est, as  well.  Matarieh  has  much  to  commend  it  to 
sufferers  from  incipient  consumption  and  bronchial 
disorders. 

Singly  or  in  combination,  the  springs  and  un- 
adulterated air  of  Helouan  are  believed  by  hosts  of 
people  to  offer  a  complete  cure  for  rheumatism  and 
neuralgia.  To  the  imagination  of  some  folks,  the 
odor  of  the  j)lace  is  of  a  suggestive  character,  for, 
set  in  the  middle  of  the  desert,  where  sulphur- 
springs  abound,  the  air  smells  strongly  of  brim- 
stone whichever  way  the  wind  blows.  But  this 
effect  soon  passes  off,  and  to  the  neuralgic  patient  in 
particular,  after  a  little  time,  the  place  appears  a 
heaven.  Helouan  is  a  gem  of  a  town  set  in  a 
golden  circle  of  sand,  with  a  grand  view  of  the  river, 
and  palm  forests  bounded  by  more  desert  and  a 
number  of  pyramids  in  front  of  you ;  and  behind, 
the  everlasting  Mokattam  Hills,  that  run  from  Cairo 
hundreds  of  miles  southward,  with  a  branch  range 
extending  to  the  Red  Sea.  To  the  left  is  the 
desert  again,  with  a  view  of  the  pencil-proportioned 
minarets  of  the  Mehemet  Ali  mosque  in  Cairo, 
fields  of  intensely  verdant  green,  and  beyond,  the 
great  silent  form  of  the  Cheops  j^yramid  keep- 
ing watch  over  all.  At  Helouan  are  comfortable 
hotels,  first-rate  bath  establishments  with  capable 
physicians   in   attendance,  plenty  of  little  white 

344 


In  Egypt  for  Health's  Sake 

houses— many  of  them  of  bungalow  design— in 
their  little  gardens,  the  whole  enveloped  in  the 
driest,  most  exhilarating  air  you  can  dream  of. 
The  Eomans,  clever  fellows  as  they  were,  knew  the 
importance  of  Helouan,  and  built  there  grand 
houses  and  bathing-places,  remains  of  which  the 
visitor  to-day  may  gaze  upon.  Did  they  have  neu- 
ralgia or  rheumatism  !  Not  for  long,  surely.  The 
hills  around  Helouan  contain  many  caverns  to  be 
explored,  many  sepnlchers  to  be  discovered ;  there 
are  glorious  walks — even  the  rheumatic  can  walk 
here— for  those  who  like  exercise,  and  shady  gi'oves 
of  sweet- smelling  acacia,  verbena,  and  every  flower 
that  grows  "  in  and  out  of  season  as  the  seasons 
go."  For  those  who  prefer  rest,  a  good  story-book, 
or  a  color-box  and  sketching-materials,  are  in 
order.  And  all  this  is  little  more  than  a  half- 
hour's  journey  from  the  Egyptian  metropolis! 
The  medicinal  advantages  of  Helouan,  perhaps  as 
potent  as  those  of  Aix-les-Bains,  are  known  far 
afield,  in  England,  France,  Germany,  and  even  in 
Russia. 

A  district  that  should  be  better  known  to  the 
seeker  for  health  whose  invalidism  is  not  too  pro- 
nounced is  the  Fayum,  accessible  from  Cairo  in 
two  or  three  hours  by  slow  railway-train.  It  has 
more  natural  beauty  than  any  other  place  in  Egypt, 
and  is  not  inappropriately  called  the  "rose-gar- 
den." If  one  would  combine  the  pleasure  of  the 
artist  with  the  quest  of  health,  and  be  not  too 
exacting  in  the  matter  of  hotel  comforts,  I  know  of 
no  place  so  fascinating  and  fruitful  of  subjects  for 

347 


Present-Day  Egypt 

the  sketch-book  or  camera  as  El  Medineh,  the 
capital  town  of  the  Fayum  oasis.  The  journey 
from  Cairo  takes  the  traveler  through  the  heart  of 
the  pyi'amid  region,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Nile, 
affording  opportunity  for  observing  at  close  range 
nearly  every  pyramid  of  renown  in  the  ancient 
necropolis.  I  am  here  tempted  to  incorporate  a 
gem  of  a  poem  by  Professor  Clinton  Scollard,  that 
sings  the  praises  of  the  Fayum  in  graceful  but 
unexaggerated  language. 


THE   ROSE   OP  FAYUM 

Could  I  pluck  from  the  gardens  of  old 
The  fairest  of  flowers  to  behold, 
And  fashion  a  wreath  for  the  shrine 
Of  the  Muses,— the  deathless  divine,— 
A  garland  I  'd  weave  from  the  bloom 
Of  the  redolent  rose  of  Fayum. 

Still  the  hills  with  their  sun-smitten  crest 
Tower  barren  and  bold  to  the  west, 
Stdl  slumbers  the  Lake  of  the  Horns 
'Neath  the  glory  of  luminous  morns ; 
Still  is  attared  the  glow  and  the  gloom 
By  the  redolent  rose  of  Fayum. 

Arsinoe's  temples  are  prone. 
And  scarce  is  there  stone  above  stone 
Of  the  palace  whose  grandeur  and  girth 
Was  one  of  the  wonders  of  earth ; 
But  in  triumph  o'er  time  and  the  tomb 
Springs  the  redolent  rose  of  Fayum. 

348 


In  Egypt  for  Health's  Sake 

The  rose  of  to-day  is  a  shoot, 
Like  the  song  of  a  glorious  root. 
Side  by  side,  till  the  ages  shall  close, 
Go  the  love  of  the  lute  and  the  rose ; 
And  my  song  I  enlink  with  the  bloom 
Of  the  redolent  rose  of  Fayum. 


As  health-stations,  Luxor  and  Assuan,  in  Upper 
Egypt,  have  every  recommendation,  and  are  more 
and  more  appreciated  each  season  by  rheumatic 
and  consumptive  persons,  and  by  healthy  people  in 
want  of  mental  rest  and  physical  recreation.  To 
these  an  entire  winter  passed  in  either  Luxor  or 
Assuan,  or  divided  between  the  two  places,  may- 
lead  to  the  return  of  mental  energy  and  bodily 
health  and  vigor.  These  up-river  places  have  the 
purest  and  driest  air  to  be  found  in  Egypt,  being 
many  degrees  warmer  than  Cairo ;  and  fast  steam- 
ers and  all-rail  connection  with  the  capital  being 
provided,  they  have  sprung  into  a  popularity  not 
to  be  wondered  at.  Their  visitors  keep  better 
hours,  dance  less  frequently  in  overcrowded  rooms, 
and  take  more  rational  exercise,  than  do  fashion- 
able sojourners  in  Cairo.  And  besides,  the  daily 
ride  on  donkey-back,  necessary  in  making  excur- 
sions to  view  objects  of  intei'est,  has  a  more  bene- 
ficial effect  upon  inactive  livers  than  any  amount 
of  driving  in  a  Cairo  victoria. 

Rain  is  rare  in  Upper  Egypt,  and  the  oldest  in- 
habitant has  no  recollection  of  frost.  There  are  no 
newspapers  to  disturb  one's  equanimity,  no  quo- 
tations of  the  stock  exchange;  yet  the  telegraph 

349 


Present-Day  Egypt 

brings  Luxor  and  Assuan  into  intimate  touch  with 
the  world.  Luxor  has  good  hotels,  a  small  hospi- 
tal, and  competent  medical  men.  The  Luxor  Hotel 
is  good  enough  to  satisfy  any  reasonable  person ;  its 
gardens  include  hundreds  of  varieties  of  tropical 
plants  and  trees.  If  time  presses,  the  journey  to 
Cairo,  four  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  may  be  made 
by  train  in  a  day,  but  not  with  the  comfort  to  be 
found  on  the  steamers.  In  archaeological  attrac- 
tions Luxor  is  without  a  peer.  Karnak  is  admit- 
tedly unapproachable  in  grandeur  and  antiquarian 
interestj^and  the  plain  of  Thebes  rich  with  storied 
jruins/An  excursion  to  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings, 
where  the  royal  mummies  rested  for  thousands  of 
years  previous  to  their  transfer  to  Der  el-Bahari, 
repays  one  for  taxing  strength  and  energy.  From 
the  moment  of  mounting  your  donkey  on  the  Nile 
strand  to  the  final  dismount  on  the  return,  diminu- 
tive Egyptians,  not  overclad,  keep  pace  with  the 
animal  throughout  the  day,  demanding  bakshish 
with  smiling  faces  at  every  step— and  it  is  a  long 
and  tortuous  journey  to  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings. 
However  resolute  one  may  be  not  to  give,  and  al- 
though your  command  to  "  inishif  "  has  been  sternly 
repeated  a  thousand  times,  you  generally  relent  at 
the  last  moment,  as  the  youngsters  know  you  will, 
and  shower  your  milliemes  and  half -piasters  among 
the  descendants  of  Mizraim.  There  is  something 
consoling  and  stimulating  to  robust  sightseer  as 
well  as  to  semi-invalid  in  this  exercise  of  benevo- 
lence. 
From  Luxor  to  Assuan  is  a  short  one  hundred 


In  Egypt  for  Health's  Sake 

and  thirty-five  miles,  yet  the  journey  seemingly 
takes  one  into  the  heart  of  Africa.  Assuan  is  the 
frontier  of  Egypt  proper,  the  first  cataract  of  the 
Nile  bein^  nature's  indicated  boundary,  south  of 
which  is  the  limitless  domain  of  Nubia  and  the 
Sudan — Egypt's  territorial  extension,  so  to  speak. 
Assuan  has  many  of  the  characteristics  of  frontier 
towns  in  other  countries.  One  sees  there  the  mili- 
tary side  of  the  governmental  administration,  and 
discovers  that  martial  rather  than  civil  law  is  in 
force.  The  temperature  is  a  few  degrees  higher 
than  at  Luxor,  abbreviating  the  season  of  sojourn 
by  a  week  or  two,  many  travelers  there  meeting 
the  tropical  sun  and  moving  northward  with  it. 
The  roomy  Assuan  Hotel  has  culinary  possibilities 
and  material  comforts  in  sufficient  number  to  make 
one  forget  that  its  location  almost  borders  on  the 
tropic  of  Cancer.  Lacking  the  unique  antiquarian 
value  of  Luxor,  perhaps,  Assuan  in  these  days  pro- 
vides many  compensating  attractions.  It  is  a  cen- 
ter where  strange-looking  desert  people  congregate, 
whose  dress  and  customs  admit  of  no  suspicion  of 
being  assumed  for  spectacular  effect.  Among 
members  of  the  tribe  of  Bischarins  may  be  seen  boys 
and  girls  who  would  make  the  sculptor  long  to  re- 
produce their  classical  features  and  graceful  poses. 
If  the  trip  to  the  island  of  Elephantine  be  disap- 
pointing, the  excursion  to  Philse  is  wholly  satisfy- 
ing, for  there  exists  nothing  more  beautiful  in  the 
domain  of  ancient  art.  But  the  army  of  dam-build- 
ers, engaged  in  a  work  meaning  much  for  the 
country's  progress,  is  destined  so  to  alter  nature  at 


Present-Day  Egypt 

the  cataract  that  Philse's  charm  must  necessarily 
be  impaired.  The  bazaar  in  Assuan  is  essentially 
African  in  character,  and  a  mine  of  entertainment. 
If  not  an  out-and-out  invalid,  one  is  certain  to 
go  several  times  to  Phil^e.  I  should  urge  the  visitor 
to  make  at  least  one  trip  by  donkey-back.  In  this 
way  one  can  take  in  the  quarries  from  which  the 
ancient  kings  drew  the  colossal  obelisks  and  stones 
for  their  stupendous  structures.  Great  humps  of 
rich  red  granite  crop  up  through  the  tawny  sand, 
and  here  and  there  are  plain  traces  of  the  methods 
employed  by  these  marvelous  builders  in  work- 
ing and  moving  their  blocks  of  material.  A  huge, 
nearly  completed  obelisk,  as  large  as  the  one  in 
New  York  or  that  in  London,  lies  in  situ  as  it 
was  hewn  from  the  solid  rock,  from  which  it  has 
never  been  quite  separated ;  it  still  bears  the  inci- 
sions for  fastening  the  ropes  and  pulleys  by  which 
it  would  have  been  dragged  to  the  river,  half  a 
mile  away.  Its  contour  is  perfectly  outlined  by 
rows  of  oblong  holes  for  the  insertion  of  blocks  of 
soft  wood,  which  would  have  been  expanded  by  the 
application  of  water,  breaking  the  monolith  from 
the  ledge  with  as  much  certainty  as  it  could  be 
accomplished  to-day  by  explosives.  The  ancient 
stone-workers  understood  the  simple  secrets  of 
natural  forces,  certainly.  On  the  way  back  from 
Philae,  if  coming  by  boat,  a  dozen  other  places  may 
be  seen  where  vast  pieces  of  granite  have  been 
broken  out  of  ledge  or  boulder  by  the  primitive  trick 
of  wetting  confined  blocks  of  porous  wood.  It  is 
good  for  the  moderate  invalid  to  study  the  curious 


In  Egypt  for  Health's  Sake 

things  about  Assuan,  and  in  the  matter  of  the 
haK- finished  obelisk  one  will  speculate  why  the 
work  was  stopped,  whether  there  was  a  change  in 
the  dynasty,  or  if  an  appropriation  gave  out ;  and 
it  will  do  no  harm,  when  studying  the  cartouches 
chiseled  on  the  boulders  along  the  river-bank,  for 
the  mind  to  endeavor  to  determine  whether  they 
are  autographs  or  were  cut  by  command  of  kings 
desirous  of  leaving  an  indelible  impress  of  their 
reigns. 

Loiterers  about  Assuan  must  not  be  disappointed 
when  told  that  the  crocodile  is  no  longer  to  be 
found  within  the  tourist  limits  of  the  Nile.  It  will 
be  but  another  illusion  shattered,  like  the  popular 
behef  that  the  tailless  Manx  cats  may  be  seen  in 
the  Isle  of  Man,  or  gray  Maltese  cats  in  Malta. 
Outside  of  a  few  princely  gardens  at  Cairo  not  a 
stalk  of  the  papyrus  plant  can  be  found  nearer 
Egypt  in  these  days  than  at  Syi'acuse  in  Sicily; 
and  more  and  better  examples  of  the  Egyptian  lotus 
may  be  seen  in  August  in  the  public  fountain  of 
Union  Square  in  New  York  than  a  winter's  search 
in  Egypt  will  reveal. 

The  evening  songs  of  the  Assuan  boatmen  are 
soothing  to  jaded  nerves,  and  the  invalid  who  can- 
not find  peace  and  benefit  at  this  delightful  up- 
river  station  can  hardly  expect  to  regain  health  in 
Egypt. 

The  health-seeker  who  desires  to  linger  beyond 
the  usual  time  for  quitting  Egypt  in  the  spring  or 
early  summer  may  find  comfort  and  stimulating 
sea-breezes  at  Ramleh,  the  Mediterranean  suburb 

355 


Present-Day  Egypt 

of  Alexandria;  but  dry  air  must  not,  of  course, 
be  looked  for  there.  It  is,  nevertheless,  a  de- 
servedly popular  resort,  with  superb  sea-bathing, 
and  a  temperature  ten  or  fifteen  degrees  cooler  than 
Cairo. 

I  must  caution  my  readers  that  my  enthusiastic 
statements  on  the  subject  of  the  climatic  charms  of 
Egypt  must  not  be  accepted  to  mean  that  its  mar- 
velous air  and  peaceful  environment  combine  to 
offer  a  panacea  for  all  ailments,  or  that  Egypt  is 
a  country  in  which  reasonable  precautions  against 
colds,  chills,  and  other  illnesses  are  not  necessary. 
There  are  forms  of  illness  and  debility  that  cannot 
be  benefited  by  a  Nile  sojourn,  I  am  assured  by  med- 
ical men  long  experienced  in  Egypt.  They  are  few, 
it  is  true,  but  included  in  the  list  are  advanced  heart- 
disease;  advanced  organic  disease  of  any  organ, 
excepting  cases  of  chronic  and  extensive  lung-con- 
solidation, tubercular  or  otherwise,  which  are  often 
reheved ;  locomotor  ataxia,  the  lightning  pains  of 
which  seem  to  be  increased  by  the  electrical  con- 
ditions incident  to  the  atmosphere  of  the  desert; 
many  forms  of  skin-disease ;  insomnia,  except  when 
arising  from  worry  or  excessive  brain-work ;  forms 
of  neurosis,  liable  to  be  irritated  by  the  brilliant 
sunshine;  hypochondria  with  melancholy  ten- 
dency; convalescence  from  acute  diseases,  where 
vigorous  exercise  is  essential  for  recuperation.  For 
these  a  colder  climate  is  better. 

An  eminent  authority.  Dr.  Hermann  "Weber,  has 
prepared  the  following  list  of  cases  that  should  be 
cured  or  relieved  by  a  winter  visit  to  Egypt :  "  All 


In  Egypt  for  Health's  Sake 

forms  of  chest-disease  where  rest  is  desirable— for 
such  cases  the  climate  acts  as  a  charm ;  all  forms  of 
incipient  phthisis,  where  the  constitutional  disorder 
preceding  the  disease  is  marked,  and  especially 
where  the  patients  have  still  plenty  of  energy  left, 
and  are  fond  of  riding  in  moderation,  and  of  a  quiet 
life ;  chronic  bronchitis,  where  the  expectoration  is 
more  or  less  abundant,  and  persons  with  a  gouty  ten- 
dency ;  asthma,  especially  those  cases  complicated 
with  bronchitis ;  gout ;  heart-disease,  if  uncompli- 
cated with  dropsy ;  all  forms  of  anemia  and  chloro- 
sis ;  renal  diseases  and  sufferers  from  gi'avel ;  con- 
valescents from  acute  diseases,  such  as  influenza, 
pleurisy,  etc.,  and  in  the  quiescent  forms  of  chronic 
affection  of  the  lungs,  trachea,  or  bronchi,  especially 
old-standing  pneumonic  conditions  following  influ- 
enza ;  atonic  forms  of  dyspepsia ;  chronic  rheuma- 
tism and  the  milder  cases  of  rheumatoid  arthritis ; 
chorea,  deteriorated  health,  and  general  break-up 
of  the  system,  following  overwork,  especially  in 
men  between  fifty  and  sixty  years  of  age,  with 
gouty  tendencies  associated  with  arterial  degen- 
eration." 

"  To  persons  who  are  either  healthy  or  merely  in 
want  of  mental  rest  and  recreation  or  of  healthful 
occupation— for  instance,  persons  who  are  socially 
or  mentally  overworked,  or  who  have  sustained 
shocks  or  disappointments,  or  who  have  been  ex- 
posed to  one  of  the  thousand  forms  of  more  or  less 
prolonged  worry,  or  who  are  without  profession 
and  occupation,  and  lack  either  the  power  or  the 
inclination  to  procure  a  healthy  substitute  for  them 

357 


Present-Day  Egypt 

—in  such  persons  a  winter  spent  in  Egypt  may  lead 
to  the  return  of  mental  energy  and  bodily  health 
and  vigor,"  remarks  the  same  authority. 

It  is  the  duty  of  any  writer  on  the  subject  of 
Egypt  as  a  resort  for  health-seekers  to  caution 
those  reading  from  an  interested  standpoint,  that 
one  may  contract  a  cold  there  perhaps  as  easily 
as  elsewhere.  The  winds  of  the  Nile  valley,  the 
marked  difference  between  sun  and  shade  tempera- 
ture, and  the  excessive  chill  coming  with  sunset, 
are  certain  to  seize  the  unwary  person  feeling  that 
his  presence  in  North  Africa  gives  exemption 
from  such  mishaps.  A  Nile  cold  has  potentialities 
of  seriousness,  and  cannot  be  annulled  by  power  of 
will.  On  the  contrary,  an  Egyptian  cold  is  stub- 
bornly difficult  to  be  got  rid  of. 

No  climate  is  without  its  disadvantages  as  well 
as  advantages,  and  it  is  important  that  a  seeker  for 
mental  rest  and  physical  benefit  should  be  as  cog- 
nizant of  the  former  as  of  the  latter.  Change  of 
climate,  intelligently  planned,  frequently  helps  an 
ailment  when  other  forms  of  treatment  have  failed ; 
and  in  cases  where  it  may  have  caused  amelioration 
merely,  it  may  by  repeated  trials  eventually  effect 
a  lasting  cure.  Immediate  recovery  is  no  more  cer- 
tain to  be  effected  by  a  change  of  air  and  scene 
than  by  other  remedial  agents.  Maladies  of  a  con- 
stitutional character,  such  as  Egypt  is  believed  to 
cure,  may  not  even  be  relieved  in  a  single  season, 
while  a  second  visit  may  eradicate  them  for  all  time. 
Expert  medical  opinion  is  worth  securing  before 
setting  out  for  the  Nile  country,  and  should  be  f re- 

358 


In  Egypt  for  Health's  Sake 

quently  sought  while  in  that  heaven-favored  land. 
A  well-known  British  physician,  Dr.  James  Clarke, 
writing  on  the  subject  of  climates  in  their  health- 
giving  aspect,  wisely  says :  "  The  air,  or  climate,  is 
often  regarded  by  patients  as  possessing  some  spe- 
cific quality  by  virtue  of  which  it  directly  cures  the 
disease.  This  erroneous  view  of  the  matter  not  un- 
f requently  proves  the  bane  of  the  invalid,  by  leading 
him,  in  the  fullness  of  his  confidence  in  climate, 
to  neglect  other  circumstances,  an  attention  to 
which  may  be  more  essential  to  his  recovery  than 
that  in  which  all  his  hopes  are  centered."  And 
again :  "  If  a  patient  would  reap  the  full  measure  of 
good  which  his  new  position  places  within  his  reach, 
he  must  trust  more  to  his  own  conduct  than  to  the 
simple  influence  of  any  climate,  however  genial; 
he  must  avail  himself  of  all  the  advantages  which 
the  climate  possesses,  and  eschew  those  disadvan- 
tages from  which  no  climate  or  situation  is  exempt ; 
moreover,  he  must  exercise  both  resolution  and 
patience  in  prosecuting  all  this  to  a  successful 
issue." 

As  a  rule,  robust  as  well  as  delicate  visitors  leave 
Egypt  too  early  in  the  spring,  thereby  undoing  in 
many  instances  the  benefits  of  their  sojourn  by 
encountering  the  cold  weather  of  Europe.  The  1st 
of  March  sees  a  stampede  to  get  away,  and  every 
steamer  goes  crowded  to  its  limit;  the  up-Nile 
contingent  is  seized  with  a  common  impulse  to  get 
to  Rome  or  Venice  or  Paris  for  Easter  Sunday,  and 
rushes  pell-mell  through  Cairo  to  Alexandria  or 
the  canal  to  take  ship  for  the  Continent,  perhaps 

359 


Present-Day  Egypt 

to  find  gales  and  cold  storms  that  effectually  undo 
the  physical  improvement  resulting  from  the  season 
passed  in  Egypt,  Instead  of  hurrying  away  as 
the  first  khamsin  blows,  it  is  better  to  remain  in 
Cairo  or  Alexandria  until  the  end  of  April.  These 
cities  are  replete  with  out- of- season  comfort,  and 
no  danger  lurks  in  the  honest  warm  weather. 
March  is  delightful,  and  if  the  midday  sun  of  April 
is  avoided,  there  is  no  discomfort  worthy  of  con- 
sideration. Strangely  enough,  the  ever-present 
mosquito  is  less  annoying  in  spring  and  early  sum- 
mer than  in  winter. 

As  temperaments  vary,  so  differ  the  ways  of  see- 
ing the  Nile,  even  of  reaching  Luxor  and  Assuan. 
The  trip  is  in  no  case  inexpensive,  unless  made  by 
rail ;  and  in  a  country  possessing  so  many  unri- 
valed interests,  no  one  wishes  to  travel  by  railway 
except  in  case  of  necessity.  Up  to  comparatively 
recent  years  the  voyager  to  Upper  Egypt  made 
the  journey  only  at  great  expense  of  time  and 
money.  It  meant  months  on  a  dahabiyeh,  generally 
chartered  for  an  entire  season.  Nothing  more 
agreeable  can  ever  be  devised ;  but  there  are  stages 
and  conditions  of  invalidism  where  it  is  undesirable 
to  take  the  risk  of  being  several  days  between  towns, 
unless  the  invalid  be  accompanied  by  a  physician. 
Steam,  under  these  circumstances,  with  its  definite 
schedule,  is  safer.  The  large  tourist- steamers  carry 
medical  officers,  experienced  and  efficient,  and  com- 
bine every  convenience  and  comfort  of  a  floating 
home.  Stopping  at  fewer  places,  and  having  no 
program  of  excursions  to  points  of  interest  far  re- 

360 


In  Egypt  for  Health's  Sake 

moved  from  the  river-banks,  as  offered  by  the 
tourist-boats,  the  post-steamers  are  quicker  and 
much  less  expensive.  In  either  case,  the  traveler 
is  seldom  out  of  telegraphic  touch  with  the  world 
for  more  than  a  few  hours  at  a  time. 

Sanitary  skill  has  liberated  Egypt  from  the  list 
of  eastern  countries  where  epidemics  may  rage  un- 
controlled, and  there  is  no  more  important  item 
of  benefit  through  British  intervention  than  the 
introduction  of  measures  which  quickly  suppress 
or  limit  outbreaks  of  cholera  and  fevers.  A  visi- 
tation of  cholera  a  generation  ago  ran  riot  for  many 
months  and  decimated  the  population  of  Egyptian 
cities  and  towns.  Dreadful  as  it  must  ever  be, 
cholera  nowadays  is  so  promptly  and  intelligently 
dealt  with  that  well-conditioned  people  run  little 
risk  of  contracting  the  malady.  The  last  serious 
appearance  of  this  disease  in  1896,  although  re- 
quiring months  to  exterminate,  was  so  skilfully 
handled  that  the  mortality  was  kept  at  an  un- 
heard-of low  figure ;  and  had  it  not  been  for  the 
sensational  chroniclings  of  the  press  of  Europe  but 
few  persons  dwelling  in  the  European  quarters  of 
Cairo  and  Alexandria  would  have  suffered  anxiety. 
Travelers  on  the  Nile  were  no  more  in  danger  than 
if  making  a  tour  of  the  fiords  of  Norway.  The  in- 
ternational quarantine  board  in  Egypt  keeps  a 
vigilant  watch  of  Asiatic  epidemics,  and  apprehends 
the  spread  of  a  virulent  disease  usually  long  before 
it  has  reached  Suez  in  its  western  progress.  Were 
it  not  for  the  timely  work  of  the  international 
bor;rd,  whose  labors  were  augmented  by  those  of 


Present-Day  Egypt 

the  Egyptian  sanitary  service— a  thoroughly  or- 
ganized department  of  the  national  administra- 
tion—the Nile  country  would  probably  not  have 
escaped  the  recent  scourge  of  bubonic  plague 
originating  in  Bombay.  The  presence  of  a  few 
isolated  cases  in  Alexandria,  disquieting  as  the 
despatches  were,  in  no  way  imperiled  the  coun- 
try. The  time  has  passed  when  an  ordinary  out- 
break of  cholera  or  plague  can  menace  winter 
visitors  to  Egypt— though  the  proprietors  of  Con- 
tinental winter-resorts  are  never  angry  when 
Continental  newspapers  announce  the  appearance 
of  an  infectious  disease  in  Egypt. 

A  good  dragoman  contributes  much  to  one's 
comfort  and  enjoyment.  Persons  spending  the 
season  in  or  near  Cairo,  or  making  the  usual  tour 
of  the  Nile,  have  no  need  of  a  special  dragoman. 
Nearly  every  steamer  provides  well-informed 
guides.  For  sight-seeing  in  towns,  or  brief  excur-' 
sions,  one  may  be  taken  for  the  day — and  hotels 
swarm  with  them.  A  good  dragoman  is  a  blessing 
undisguised ;  but  one  in  whom  you  lack  confidence 
is  an  unmitigated  misfortune.  Interpreter-guides 
proffer  their  services  at  steamship  landing,  railway- 
station,  and  even  in  the  street.  Most  of  them  are 
plausible  and  insinuating,  but  a  display  of  firmness 
will  protect  the  visitor  from  imposition.  They  are 
cunning  students  of  human  nature,  but  easily  kept 
in  place.  It  is  wise  to  engage  a  dragoman  recom- 
mended by  an  acquaintance  who  has  tested  him,  or 
one  guaranteed  by  a  reputable  agency.  Most  of 
the  professional  guides  are  capable,  painstaking, 

364 


In  Egypt  for  Health's  Sake 

and  honest;  but  a  well-defined  written  contract 
aids  greatly  in  keeping  them  exact  in  disbursements 
and  duties,  and  the  average  man  of  this  calling 
greatly  values  money  given  him  as  "bakshish." 
For  a  dahabiyeh  voyage  a  dragoman-contractor 
is  almost  indispensable.  With  the  wane  of  the 
Egyptian  season,  dragomans  endeavor  to  secure 
parties  going  to  Palestine  or  Mount  Sinai,  and 
have  this  object  in  mind  while  serving  winter 
patrons. 

It  has  become  almost  a  truism  that  "  T.  Cook  & 
Son  own  the  Nile."  They  were  the  pioneers  of 
systematic  navigation  on  the  great  river,  and  for 
twenty  years  have  conducted  their  affairs  in  such 
a  businesslike  manner  that  competition,  if  exist- 
ing at  all,  has  been  weak  and  ineffective.  Prac- 
tically every  steamer  and  modern  dahabiyeh  on  the 
Nile  is  owned  by  the  firm  of  Cook,  which  has  a 
seemingly  perennial  contract  with  the  government 
for  carrying  the  mails.  This  chapter  would  be  in- 
complete, in  dealing  with  the  vitally  important  sub- 
ject of  the  Nile  as  a  resort  for  health- seekers,  if 
mention  of  the  facilities  offered  by  the  fleet  of  Cook 
steamers  and  dahabiyehs  were  omitted.  In  Egypt, 
Cook  is  unique. 

Continuing  in  the  desire  to  make  this  chapter 
valuable  to  the  inquirer  for  information,  I  must 
explain  how  easily  the  voyage  from  New  York  to 
Egypt  may  in  these  times  be  made.  The  route 
best  suited  to  those  willing  to  sacrifice  a  few  days' 
time  for  the  sake  of  comfort  in  traveling  is  by  the 
direct  service  of  North  German  Lloyd  steamers  to 

365 


Present-Day  Egypt 

Naples  or  Genoa,  changing  at  one  of  these  ports  to 
a  steamer  of  the  same  line,  that  will  land  passen- 
gers at  Port  Said  or  Ismailia,  whichever  canal 
station  offers  a  favorable  train  to  Cairo.  If  there 
be  no  German  Lloyd  boat  sailing  from  Genoa  or 
Naples  at  a  convenient  time,  there  are  several  other 
first-class  lines  starting  from  or  touching  at  these 
ports,  and  one  should  find  an  available  steamer 
without  much  trouble  or  delay.  In  this  way  the 
voyage  from  New  York  to  Egypt  is  made  with  the 
maximum  of  comfort  in  from  sixteen  to  twenty 
days.  Every  winter  offers  occasional  excursions 
by  the  North  German  Lloyd,  Hamburg- American, 
and  French  lines  from  New  York  to  Alexandria  di- 
rect ;  and  as  travel  to  Egypt  grows,  which  it  does 
by  leaps  and  bounds,  the  facilities  for  getting  there 
are  sure  to  increase.  A  regular  direct  service  be- 
tween New  York  and  Alexandria,  during  the  win- 
ter months  at  least,  is  almost  certain  to  be  soon 
established. 

The  robust  traveler  bound  for  the  land  of  the 
Pyramids  can  disembark  from  his  Atlantic  liner  in 
England  or  France,  as  the  case  may  be,  catch  a  quick 
train  to  Marseilles,  Brindisi,  Genoa,  Naples,  Ven- 
ice, or  Triest,  and  be  in  Alexandria  or  Port  Said  in 
a  few  days'  less  time  than  if  he  went  by  the  all-sea 
route.  If  he  is  willing  to  travel  post-haste,  he  may 
be  in  Cairo  in  fourteen  days  after  leaving  New 
York,  or  possibly  in  thirteen. 

"  He  who  has  once  tasted  the  water  of  the  Nile," 
says  an  Arab  proverb,  "  longs  for  it  inexpressibly 
forevermore." 

366 


INDEX 


Abbas  Hilmi,  khedive,  l,  272;  crit- 
icism of,  iu  England,  273;  student 
days,  274,  277  ;  lingual  capacity,  278 ; 
civil  list,  279 ;  description  of,  283 ; 
habits,  284 ;  heir  of,  289. 

Abbas  I,  viceroy,  220. 

Abukir  Bay,  92,  05,  292. 

Agi-iculture,  value  of  cotton  crop,  133 ; 
cane-culture  developed  by  Assuau 
reservoir,  147  ;  fertilized  by  deposit 
of  soil  from  Abyssinia,  164;  facility 
of,  in  Delta,  170;  primitive  cultiva- 
tion, 170;  division  of  crops,  183. 

■*'Aida,"  original  production  of,  22, 
236. 

Alexander,  forethought  of,  iu  found- 
ing Alexandi-ia,  80. 

Alexandria,  autiquity  of,  78 ;  custom- 
house, 79,  102 ;  medley  of  pojiula- 
tion,  79;  ancient  Pharos,  80;  as  seat 
of  learning  aud  great  library,  83; 
Mehemet  All's  interest  in,  85 ;  city 
and  harbor  of  present  day,  86,  87 ; 
shipments  of  cotton  from,  90 ;  mas- 
sacre of  Christians,  90;  railway  to 
Eamleh,  95;  Greeks  at,  96;  port  re- 
ceipts, 133;  bombardment  of,  260, 
263. 

American  judges  in  international 
courts,  116. 

American  Presbyterian  Mission,  edu- 
cational work  of,  326. 

Anglo-Egyptian  expedition,  53,  300. 

Anniversaries,  14. 

Arabi  Pasha,  rebellion,  186;  lacking 
in  attributes  of  leadership,  257  ;  de- 
mand for  dismissal  of  Riaz  ministry, 
258;  as  minister  of  war,  259;  crush- 
ing of  rebellion,  260,  263,  264  ;  in  ex- 
ile, 269  ;  ti-ial,  sentence,  and  banish- 
ment, 312. 

Area  of  practical  Egypt,  119. 

Assiut,  constructioo  of  barrage  at, 
146 ;  cane-culture  near,  183. 


Assuan,  great  dam  at,  145 ;  reservoir 
greatly  to  increase  country's  pro- 
ducing capacity,  148;  dam  to  be 
completed  in  1903, 151 ;  laying  foun- 
dation-stone of  dam  by  Duke  of 
Connaught,  151 ;  cost  of  dam,  153 ; 
as  health-station,  349-352. 

Bakshish,  41,  350,  365. 

Barrage,  near  Cairo,  146 ;  designed  by 
French,  made  practicable  by  Brit- 
ish, 172. 

Bazaars,  of  Cairo,  41-43;  of  Assuau, 
352. 

Bedouins,  5,  292,  342. 

Bible,  scenes  thereof,  6. 

British  army  of  occupation,  cost  of, 
55,  186. 

Cairo,  founding  of,  1 ;  quaint  life,  2 ; 
letter-writers,  7;  street  scenes,  8, 
12,  21 ;  polyglot,  13 ;  confusing  cal- 
e7idar8,  14;  sacred  carpet  ceremo- 
nial, 16;  funerals,  20;  adornment 
with  statues,  34 ;  tram-cars,  36 ;  ba- 
zaars, 41,  42 ;  Mouski,  45 ;  mosques, 
47 ;  El-Azhar  University,  59 ;  Suez 
Canal  fetes  in,  209;  climate  and 
rainfall,  338. 

Canals,  Mahraudiyeh,  165 ;  early  proj- 
ects for  canal  from  NUe  to  8uez, 
187 ;  prediction  of  trouble  there- 
from, 187. 

Capitulations,  105  ;  origin  of,  106-110. 

Census,  difficulty  of  taking,  116 ;  of 
1«97,  123. 

Ceremonials,  sacred  carpet,  16 ;  cut- 
ting of  Khalig,  69. 

Cigarettes,  their  manufacture,  75. 

Cleopatra,  96 ;  pure  Greek,  97,  98 ;  va- 
riety of  portraits,  98 ;  death  by  asp- 
bite  improbable,  101. 

Climate,  336,  356,  358,  359. 

Consular  courts,  106. 


369 


Index 


Oomer,  Viscount,  able  administra- 
tor, 140 ;  de  facto  ruler,  143,  320,  325. 

Dancing-girls,  30. 

Debt,  national  bonded,  125 ;  per  cap- 
ita, 178. 

De  Leeseps,  Ferdinand,  184;  concee- 
eion  for  Suez  Canal,  192 ;  movement 
to  give  name  to  canal,  209 ;  monu- 
ment to,  210. 

Divorce,  simplicity  of,  27. 

Dongola  and  Berber,  to  become  im- 
portant producers  of  breadstuffs, 
182. 

Dongola  expedition,  308. 

Dragomans,  364,  365. 

Egypt,  involved  administration,  104 ; 
limited  area,  119;  origin  of  name, 
120;  from  insolvency  to  prosperity, 
120;  population,  120,  123,  124;  im- 
provement of  financial  position,  125 ; 
debt,  125,  320;  debt  compared  with 
otber  countries,  126;  imports  and 
exports,  and  Alexandria  port  re- 
ceipts, 133 ;  budget  and  tribute  to 
Sultan,  133;  sources  of  revenue, 
134 ;  land-tax,  134,  137 ;  value  of 
land,  139;  producing  capacity  in- 
creased by  Asstian  dam,  148;  no 
benefit  from  Suez  Canal.  184;  cost 
of  canal  to,  207  ;  reversion  of  canal 
to,  216 ;  governed  from  London,  298; 
short  cut  to  English  honors,  319; 
present  prosperity,  319,  320;  sell- 
government,  333,  334. 

Egyptian  cotton,  origin,  89;  prolific- 
ness,  138 ;  Delta  a  great  cotton-field, 
181 ;  advantages  of  fellah  cultiva- 
tor, 181 ;  necessity  in  United  States 
and  Europe,  182 ;  predicted  increase 
of,  182;  importance  to  Great  Brit- 
ain, 316. 

Egyptian  question,  298. 

Egyptian  Museum,  5,  66,  236 ;  new,  69. 

"Evil  eye,"  superstitious  fear  of,  33. 

Fayum,  347 ;  Rose  of  (poem),  348. 

France,  in  Suez  Canal  affair,  201; 
emperor  arbitrates,  201-204 ;  witli- 
drawal  from  dual  financial  control, 
300 ;  non-participation  in  bombard- 
ment of  Alexandria,  303 ;  invited  to 
share  responsibility  of  same,  304;  in 
Tunis,  314 ;  French  as  official  lan- 
guage, 327;  journals  in  French  lan- 
guage, 328. 


Great  Britain,  saving  Egypt  from 
bankruptcy,  127 ;  work  of  regener- 
ating Egypt,  127 ;  territorial  expan- 
sion, 147  ;  treatment  of  Khedive  Ab- 
bas, 272,  273;  right  to  be  in  Egypt, 
298 ;  retention  of  Egypt  not  at  first 
intended,  311;  official  utterances 
I'egarding  intervention  in  Egypt, 
311,  312;  advantage  of  control  in 
Egypt,  315, 316  ;  not  prepared  Egyp- 
tians for  self-government,  322 ;  sub- 
jects in  administrative  offices,  325, 
326 ;  introducing  English  language, 
328,  329;  anomalous  position  in 
Egypt,  335. 

Harem,  ceasing  to  exist,  28;  descrip- 
tion of,  28. 

Hashish,  101 ;  how  smuggled,  102, 103. 

Health,  33G,  341,  344 ;  cases  not  bene- 
fited by  sojourn  in  Egypt,  356 ;  cases 

,  benefited,  357 ;  Nile  colds,  358. 

Heliopolis,  48,  344. 

Helouau,  344 ;  baths  of,  347. 

Howling  dervishes,  28. 

Ibrahim  Pasha,  viceroy,  2l9. 

Incubatories,  chicken,  343. 

International  courts,  105 ;  originated 
by  Nubar  Pasha,  ill ;  procedure 
and  jurisdiction,  112 ;  location,  lis ; 
languages  of,  330. 

International  Debt  Commission,  105  ; 
cost  of  and  limitation  of  powers, 
132. 

International  quarantine  board,  363. 

Irrigation,  reservoir  near  Assuan, 
145;  triumph  of  science,  147;  har- 
nessing Nile  to  increase  country's 
production  twenty-five  per  cent., 
148;  contrasting  methods  of,  165, 
166;  imi)ortance  of  present,  177. 

Ismail  Pasha,  khedive,  beautifying 
Cairo,  35;  entailed  rulership,  117; 
no  rule  for  collecting  taxes,  134, 184 ; 
interest  in  Suez  Canal  project,  185 ; 
sale  of  canal  shares  to  British  gov- 
ernment, 186;  firman  from  Sublime 
Porte  ordering  succession  by  pri- 
mogenitiu-e,  199,  200;  errors  of,  218; 
education  in  France,  220;  disap- 
pearance of  the  "  Moufettish,"  224  5 
generosity,  226;  surrender  of  es- 
tates, 229;  leaves  Egypt,  230;  at 
Naples,  231 ;  at  Constantinople,  231; 
character,  235 ;  debts  incurred,  236 ; 
death,  238 ;  funeral,  241-243. 


370 


Index 


Karnak,  350. 

Khamsin,  338,  341. 

Khedivab,  286. 

KUedivah-mfere,  289. 

Kitchener,  General  Lord,  sirdar,  S3, 
54,  55,  319. 

Koran,  24;  as  text-book,  63;  forbid- 
ding liquors  and  wines,  103. 

Lake  MareotiH,  sea  admitted  to,  91. 
Lake  Menzaleh,  193. 
Luxor,  349,  350. 

Marriage,  description  of,  15;  growth 
of  monogamy,  24. 

Matarieh,  343. 

Mecca,  pilgrimage  to,  19. 

Mehemet  Ali,  prince,  brother  of  Khe- 
dive Abbas,  277,  280,  289. 

Mehemet  Ali  Pasha,  founder  of  dy- 
nasty, 1 ;  revels  at  Shubra  Palace 
75 ;  interest  in  Alexandria,  85 ;  con- 
nected Alexandria  with  NUe,  85; 
revolutionized  irrigation,  170;  inter- 
est in  isthmian  canalization,  191. 

Mena  House,  39,  337, 342. 

Mohammed  Abdoul-Mounaim,  prince, 
heir  to  khedivate,  289. 

Mortality,  diminution  of  death-rate, 
124. 

Mosques,  47. 

Mouski,  45,  46. 

Napoleon  I,  suggested  barrage  for 
irrigating  Delta,  171 ;  considered 
canalization  between  Mediterra- 
nean and  Suez,  188. 

Napoleon  III,  amazing  award  of,  iii 
Suez  Canal  dispute,  203. 

Nile,  travel  to,  128;  sugar-cane  of, 
147;  alluvial  valley  of,  148;  length, 
breadth,  and  fall  of,  165 ;  sustained 
by  rainfall  of  equatorial  region, 
166 ;  unchangeable  features  of,  169  ; 
waste  of  water  and  deposit,  171; 
monopolization  by  Great  Britain, 
304 ;  high,  337  ;  how  to  see,  360 ;  Arab 
proverb  of,  366. 

Nubar  Pasha,  originator  of  inter- 
national courts.  111 ;  difficulty  with 
French  newspaper,  118,  223,  224. 

Obelisks,  none  in  Cairo  or  Alexandria, 

48,  91 ;  in  situ  at  Assuan,  352. 
OfHce-holding,  131. 
Ophthalmia,  33. 

Palaces,  Gizeh,  69;  Shubra,  71,  72; 
Montazah,  95,  292;  Ras-el-Teen,  95, 


292 ;  Ghizereh,  225;  Abdln,  246 ;  state 
ball  at   Abdin,  296;  Koubbeh,  251, 

268. 
PhUse,  site  of  Nile  dam,  154 ;  protests 

against  desecration  of,  157 ;  date  of 

temples,  160. 
Pilgrimage  to  Mecca,  19. 
Polygamy,  24. 

Population,  120,  123 ;  density  of,  124. 
Port  Said,  entrance  to  canal  (note), 

209 ;  statue  to  De  Lesseps,  210. 
Professional  letter-writei's,  7. 
Professional  mourners,  20. 

Railways,  electric,  in  Cairo,  36;  to 
Pyramids,  36;  from  Alexandria  to 
Ramleh,  95 ;  receipts  and  operating 
expenses  of  state,  128 :  in  the  Sudan, 
128 ;  international  aspect  of,  132 ; 
from  Cairo  to  Suez,  191 ;  from  Luxor 
and  Assuan  to  Cairo,  349. 

Rainfall,  336,  337. 

Ramadan,  14. 

Rameses  the  Great,  5,  69. 

Ramleh,  92,  355. 

Religion,  devotion  to,  23;  sects  of 
Mohammedan,  01 ;  classification  of, 
124. 

Rosetta  Stone,  66. 

Russia,  interest  in  Egypt,  305 ;  Asiatic 
aspirations,  306;  ways  of  reaching 
East,  306;  desire  to  avoid  British 
opposition,  307. 

Sacred  carpet,  16. 

Said  Pasha,  viceroy,  giving  of  Suez 
Canal  concession,  185, 192 ;  subscrip- 
tion to  canal's  capital,  185, 196. 

Sakkarah,  342. 

Seasons,  337,  338. 

Slavery,  not  obligatory,  28 ;  "  slave  " 
palace  attendants,  2S0. 

Soldiers,  52  ;  efficiency  of,  54 ;  British 
army  of  occupation,  55 ;  at  Khalig 
ceremonial,  70 ;  cost  of  army,  134. 

Sphinx,  341. 

Sudan,  reconq'uest  of,  305,  308,  316 ;  in- 
come from,  308. 

Suez  Canal,  103,  184;  concession  for, 
192,  193  ;  cost  to  Egypt,  207  ;  value  to 
commerce,  211 ;  nationality  of  ships 
using,  212 ;  economy  of,  215 ;  capital 
and  profit,  216 ;  reversion  to  Egypt, 
216  ;  advantages  of.  306. 

Sultan,  EgjT)tian  tribute  to,  104 ;  de- 
poses Ismail,  245 ;  makes  Tewflk 
khedive,  245  ;  annexation  of  Egypt 


371 


Index 


uiyust  to,  300;  declined  to  send 
troops  to  Alexandria,  314;  disinte- 
gration of  empire  of,  335. 

Taxation,  134 ;  land-tax,  137. 

Temperature,  337. 

Tewflk  Pasha,  bhedive,  favored  single 
marriage,  24;  improved  method  of 
collecting  land-taxes,  134,  229; 
named khedive by  Sultan,  245;  hirth, 
248 ;  diflaculties  in  rule  of,  253 ;  want- 
ing in  firmness,  264 ;  in  cholera- 
infested  Cairo,  265 ;  pleaded  for  com- 
mutation of  Arabi's  sentence,  269; 
Admiral  Seymour's  communication 
to,  311. 

Thebes,  plain  of,  350. 


Tobacco,  cultivation  forbidden,  75. 
Tombs  of  Kings,  350. 

United  States,  use  of  Egyptian  cotton 
in,  182 ;  use  of  Suez  Canal  by  ships 
of,  212,  215,  217 ;  utterance  of  Con- 
gress regarding  intervention  in 
Cuba,  314;  Egypt,  how  reached 
from,  366. 

University  of  El-Azhar,  oldest  in 
world,  59 ;  description  of,  60-^5. 

Whitehouse,  Cope,  project  for  storage 
reservoir  near  the  Fayum,  177. 

Women,  aversion  to  European  cus- 
toms, 23;  impi'oving  condition,  27; 
graceful  water-carriers,  56,  251 ;  at- 
tendants in  khedive's  household,  290. 


372 


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